GANGTOK: In a significant step towards employee welfare and inclusive growth, the Sikkim Cricket Association (SICA) has decided to register with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), a SICA press release informs.
The move will provide ground staff and office employees with long-term social security benefits and also enable SICA to access incentives under the Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana (PMVBRY), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address on August 15, 2025.
With this decision, SICA joins the ranks of other state cricket associations, including the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA), Goa Cricket Association, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, and the apex governing body, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), all of which are covered under the EPF & MP Act, 1952.
The development came after an awareness workshop on PMVBRY, organised by the Special State Office, EPFO Gangtok, under the leadership of Regional PF Commissioner Kesang Tenzing and Enforcement Officer Hemant Kumar Das. The workshop, held at Rangpo Mining Ground on September 2, 2025, highlighted the benefits of EPF registration and government schemes for organisations and their employees.
A senior official of SICA said, “Our decision to come under EPF coverage reflects our commitment to the welfare of our staff and our responsibility to ensure their financial security. It also allows us to align with the national vision of strengthening social security across sectors.”
Regional PF Commissioner Kesang Tenzing welcomed the decision, stating that SICA’s move would serve as an example for other sports associations and organisations in Sikkim to follow suit. “Social security is a right of every worker. With SICA joining the EPF family, more employees in the state will be assured of long-term financial protection and retirement savings,” he said.
Enforcement Officer Hemant Kumar Das added that the proactive participation of SICA demonstrates how awareness and outreach can encourage institutions to adopt social security measures for their workforce.
The registration is expected to benefit not only SICA’s staff but also reinforce the government’s push for wider adoption of the PMVBRY scheme in the North-Eastern region, the release mentions.
- SA Report
