Guwahati: In a historic move, the Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed a landmark bill aimed at granting long-awaited land rights to tea garden workers, even as opposition MLAs raised concerns over the finer details of the legislation.
The Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holding (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was approved, opening a path for thousands of tea garden workers living in labour lines to finally receive land pattas (title deeds) and secure ownership rights over the land they have lived on for decades.
The passage of the bill holds immense political significance. The tea garden community plays a decisive role in nearly 35 of Assam’s 126 constituencies, making this development crucial as the state heads towards Assembly elections next year. Over 80 lakh people are directly or indirectly connected to Assam’s 200-year-old tea industry.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hailed the bill as a transformative step for the community.
“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,” he said. The Chief Minister also accused certain groups of attempting to disrupt proceedings but said people now “recognise the intentions behind these disruptive actions.”
He further outlined the rules associated with land ownership:
“Land cannot be sold for 20 years. After 20 years, it can be sold only to another worker. If the BJP government returns to power, we will support house construction for three lakh families. Surveys have already begun, and some families will receive immediate allotments.”
BJP MLA Rupesh Gowala, who comes from a tea garden background, described the bill as historic and emotionally significant, noting that workers had lived in company-owned quarters for generations without ownership rights.
Opposition Supports the Bill but Seeks Amendments
While the opposition bench extended its support to the bill, several concerns were raised.
AIUDF MLA Dr Rafiqul Islam pointed out persistent exploitation of tea workers and raised questions about the actual quantity of land available for distribution. He noted that while nearly 3.5 lakh workers reside in labour lines, only 2 to 2.5 lakh bighas may be available.
“If distributed equally, each family won’t even get a bigha. The government should consider giving at least 7 bighas to each family to make them self-reliant,” he said. Dr Islam also pressed for inclusion of the Muslim community living in labour lines.
Tensions heightened when AIUDF members demanded similar land rights for people living in the char (riverine) areas, which are predominantly inhabited by Bengali-speaking Muslims.
Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia acknowledged that previous Congress governments had also distributed land but criticised the current regime for attempting to derive political mileage from the initiative.
“The Congress government had distributed land regularly. Due to historical displacement and deaths, many villages in Assam today exist on former tea garden areas. However, the rate of land and house ownership among women has declined in the past 10 years compared to the earlier Congress administration. The BJP government, especially the Chief Minister, now wants to take the courtesy,” Saikia said.
The bill’s passage marks a potential turning point in the lives of tea garden workers who have long demanded land security. With elections approaching, its implementation may become a key political battleground in the months ahead.