Guwahati: The Assam Legislative Assembly on Friday passed the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a historic decision that will grant land rights to nearly 3 lakh tea garden workers across the state for the first time.
The Bill, which was introduced by Revenue Minister Keshab Mahanta, was passed amid a chaotic session marked by heated exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches. BJP members raised slogans targeting Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, who retaliated with accusations against Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. The opposition AIUDF staged a walkout, insisting that similar land rights should be extended to minority communities living in char areas.
Despite the uproar, the Bill was cleared, marking what many leaders described as a transformative moment for the Tea Tribe and Adivasi communities who were brought to Assam by the British more than 200 years ago and have lived without formal land ownership ever since.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, speaking in the House, said the amendment would finally give dignity and security to the community that has contributed immensely to the state’s tea industry. He said that tea garden families would now receive land pattas for the areas where they currently reside. The land cannot be sold for 20 years and, even after that period, can only be transferred within the same community.
Sarma highlighted several initiatives taken by the BJP-led government for tea garden workers, including opening seven lakh bank accounts during demonetisation, constructing concrete roads inside tea estates, providing JJM water connections, offering wage compensation of â‚ą12,000 to pregnant workers, and establishing 100 model high schools in tea garden areas. He also said the government is considering increasing tea wages and will soon introduce three per cent reservation in government jobs for youths from the community.
The chief minister said the Bill abolishes colonial-era practices that had kept ancillary land under the control of tea management. He asserted that the government is correcting a historical injustice and ensuring long-term ownership for tea garden families.
Tea Tribe community minister Rupesh Gowala welcomed the “historic” decision, saying it will change the future of generations who lived without land security.
Congress MLAs supported the Bill but termed its timing political. Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia said the move, though beneficial, appeared aimed at electoral gains ahead of the 2026 polls. Meanwhile, AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said the government ignored the rights of people living in char areas, prompting the party’s walkout.
The Bill, introduced by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Keshab Mahanta, seeks to allow the distribution of tea garden ancillary land to permanent and temporary workers for building houses. With the legislation now cleared, the government plans to begin work on a housing scheme for tea labourers in the coming months.
