Assam Govt–Tea Industry Standoff Sharpens Over Land Pattas for Workers

The confrontation between the Assam government and the tea industry over granting land pattas to tea garden workers has intensified, with both sides holding firm positions on an issue that has acquired political urgency ahead of elections.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has warned tea estate owners that opposing land distribution to workers could lead to the withdrawal of state incentives, reportedly amounting to nearly ₹150 crore annually. The government has linked subsidies and industry benefits to cooperation on providing land rights to workers living in labour lines.

The warning follows the enactment of the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings(Amendment) Act, which enables the State to facilitate land rights for tea garden workers who have been residing on plantation land for decades.
The tea industry, however, has expressed serious reservations. At the recent 50th Biennial General Meeting of the Tea Association of India (TAI), the industry flagged legal and financial hurdles that could stall the move.

“For the majority of companies, tea garden land is pledged as collateral to banks. Any transfer of this land would create financial and legal complications,” TAI president Sandeep Singhania said in his address, cautioning that land transfer could disrupt existing financing structures.

The industry also pointed to unresolved issues around compensation. “The Land Ceiling Act pertains to land, not structures. Compensation for company-built assets such as labour quarters would need to be addressed separately,” the TAI president noted, referring to the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013.

Another key concern raised was statutory responsibility. According to the industry, even if land pattas are issued, management would still be legally bound to provide housing and amenities under central labour laws. “State-level action on land distribution does not absolve managements from these statutory obligations unless the present Act is amended,” the TAI said in its submission 

While the Assamgovernment maintains that land rights for tea workers are a matter of social justice, planter bodies argue that the policy, in its current form, is legally complex and economically disruptive. With neither side yielding, the land patta issue continues to remain a flashpoint in Assam’s politically sensitive tea sector before the state election.

Also Read: Assam Govt Warns Tea Estate Owners Over Worker Land Rights