Assam's Historic Bill Grants Land Rights to 300,000 Tea Garden Workers After Generations of Waiting

The Assam Assembly passed a groundbreaking bill this evening that aims to provide land rights to tea garden workers, though opposition legislators expressed concerns about specific aspects of the legislation.

Guwahati:

The Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holding (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has successfully passed through the Assembly, creating a pathway for thousands of tea garden laborers living in worker quarters to receive land pattas (title deeds) and ownership rights.

This bill's passage holds immense significance as the tea garden community influences approximately 35 out of 126 constituencies in Assam, making the timing strategic ahead of next year's Assembly elections. The state's 200-year-old tea industry connects to over 80 lakh people's livelihoods.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma celebrated this achievement as a major win for the community, stating, "This is a historic moment in the Assam Legislative Assembly, where land pattas will be given to 3 lakh families of the tea tribe community. At such an important moment, everyone now recognizes the intentions behind these disruptive actions."

He further outlined the land regulations: "Land cannot be sold for 20 years. After 20 years, it can be sold, but only to another worker. Today is a historic day. Not just land. If the BJP government returns to power again, we will provide support for building houses for three lakh families. Some will receive an allotment immediately. Construction of houses will begin early. A survey has already started. For many, homes will be sanctioned soon."

BJP MLA Rupesh Gowala, who comes from a tea garden background himself, described the Bill as historic, noting that workers had resided in company quarters for generations without possessing ownership rights.

Although opposition members supported the bill's core purpose, they requested several amendments.

AIUDF MLA Dr. Rafiqul Islam highlighted ongoing exploitation of tea workers and raised practical issues regarding the available land for distribution. He pointed out that approximately 3.5 lakh workers live in labor lines, while only 2 to 2.5 lakh bighas may be available.

"If distributed equally, each family won't even get one bigha. The government should consider giving 7 bighas to each family to make them self-reliant," he suggested, while also advocating for the inclusion of Muslim community members residing in labor lines.

The debate grew tense when AIUDF MLAs additionally demanded land rights for residents of char (riverine) areas, predominantly inhabited by Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Congress MLA and Opposition Leader Debabrata Saikia acknowledged previous land distribution efforts by his party but criticized the current government for attempting to gain political advantage from the initiative.

"The Congress government had also distributed land regularly. Due to historical displacement and deaths, there are many villages in Assam today where people continue to live in former tea garden areas. As a result, the overall rate of land and house ownership among women has declined over the past 10 years compared to the previous Congress administration. BJP government and especially the chief minister want to take the courtesy," he remarked.