HPAU pensioners to observe Black Day on August 15

More than 900 pensioners of CSK Agriculture University in Palampur have decided to observe the Independence Day as 'Black Day' to protest against non-payment of their pension since March 2014.
"We salute our martyrs and shall strive to uphold Independence of our Republic, but we have been forced to observe it as Black Day as we have been deprived of our pension, the main source of livelihood," said a pensioner.
"It has become difficult for some of the families to make their both ends meet due to non-release of monthly pension since March this year," President of HPAU Pensioners Society S K Phull said.

The pensioners, who held a meeting, expressed shock over the stand taken by the state government, which has refused to bail out the cash-strapped university by holding that the varsity pensioners were not the employees of the government.
The members of the society said the state government's stand, which was conveyed to them by a Statutory Officer (Comptroller) of the University, ran contrary to the provision of the Act and Statutes of the University framed by the state legislature.