Assam to grant land rights to 1.14 lakh tea workers' families in second phase of patta scheme

The Assam government on Monday, July 6, announced that land rights will be granted to around 1.14 lakh tea workers' families across 250 tea gardens under the second phase of its land patta distribution programme.

Replying to a question by Congress MLA Asif Mohammad Nazar in the Assembly, Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare Minister Rameswar Teli said the government was implementing the scheme in phases to provide land ownership rights to tea garden workers residing in labour lines within estate premises.

The minister informed the House that in the first phase, land pattas were distributed to 28,831 families across 106 tea gardens. He said the second phase would cover nearly 1.14 lakh families in 250 tea gardens.

Teli added that survey work for the second phase is currently underway.

The initiative to provide land rights to tea garden workers was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 13, when he formally initiated the programme and ceremonially handed over land pattas to three beneficiary families. During the first phase, more than 28,000 tea workers' families received land ownership rights.