"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 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.