Dibrugarh (Assam): The Assam government on Monday formally began the process of granting land ownership rights to tea garden workers, marking a major policy shift aimed at ending decades of land insecurity faced by the community.
The rollout was launched at Dinjoy Tea Estate in Dibrugarh, where Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma distributed application forms to workers living in labour lines within tea estates.
The exercise follows a recent amendment to the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, which allows tea garden workers to claim ownership of house sites and residential land that were earlier legally held by estate managements.
Addressing a gathering of workers, Sarma said the initiative would fundamentally change the social and economic standing of tea tribes in Assam, many of whom have lived for generations without legal rights over the land they occupy.
He described the move as a long-overdue step towards dignity, stability and welfare for the community.
Under the new process, application forms are being issued to workers residing in labour lines or occupying houses built on estate land.
The forms collect basic details such as beneficiary identity, land occupation and household information. Estate-level committees have been constituted to help workers complete the paperwork and ensure the process moves smoothly.
Alongside the distribution of forms, the government has also launched a large-scale land survey across tea estates.
Surveys have already been completed in 103 gardens, while work will begin in another 250 estates from Monday.
The exercise is expected to eventually cover nearly 800 tea gardens across the state.
Sarma said that despite the tea industry’s nearly 200-year history in Assam, workers had remained legally vulnerable, often living under the constant fear of eviction.
He said the lack of land security had forced generations of families into hardship, with children dropping out of school and households trapped in poverty and uncertainty.
The government plans to begin issuing land pattas to a section of eligible tea garden families ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections, though officials acknowledge that the full process will take time.
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With nearly 10 lakh tea workers in Assam and an estimated five lakh families eligible for land rights, the exercise is expected to span several months.
The land rights initiative is also being linked to housing and welfare schemes.
The government plans to geo-tag houses in tea garden areas and provide housing assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, including support for new homes, repairs and upgrades.
Workers will no longer require no-objection certificates from estate managements to access housing schemes.
Additional benefits announced include financial assistance for house repairs, Aadhaar and ration card facilitation, subsidised food grains and access to other welfare programmes.
While the move has been welcomed by workers’ groups, it faces legal resistance from tea estate owners.
Planters have approached the Gauhati High Court challenging the Assam Labour Line Land Allotment Act, arguing that it violates property rights and was enacted without adequate consultation.
The case is currently pending before the court.
The initiative comes amid a broader push by the BJP-led government to expand welfare outreach among tea tribes and adivasi communities, a politically significant constituency in the state, ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
