Revolutionizing Housing Rights for Assam's Tea Garden Workers

The Assam government has introduced a bill to amend land-use laws, allowing the redistribution of tea garden 'labour lines' for housing. It aims to secure legal rights for tea workers, enhance land productivity, and integrate these areas into public housing and welfare programs. Compensation plans are outlined.

The Assam government has proposed an amendment bill to transform land policies for tea garden workers. On Tuesday, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta introduced the 'Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Act, 2025' in the Assembly, marking a significant shift in land-use priorities.

This bill aims to exclude tea garden 'labour lines' from ancillary plantation land, paving the way for land redistribution for housing purposes. The amendment will grant legal land rights to tea garden workers, facilitating their integration into government housing and welfare schemes. It addresses the lack of legal titles in these colonies.

Financially, the bill proposes compensation for tea estates, estimated at Rs 65.57 crore, to be funded through existing budgets. The bill is set to redefine land utilization, promising greater transparency and accountability in land administration and spurring economic and social development in Assam's tea estates.

(With inputs from agencies.)