Assam to transfer tea garden land to workers, announce 3 per cent job reservation

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced a landmark bill to be introduced in the Legislative Assembly on November 25 that will transfer land ownership from tea garden owners to workers who have lived on these estates for generations.

Speaking at the 19th Biennial Conference of the Assam Tea Tribes Students Association (ATTSA) on October 19, Sarma declared the government's commitment to securing land rights for tea garden communities. "I want to tell you all with full courage that on November 25, I will introduce a bill in the Legislative Assembly through which we have decided to take land from tea garden owners and allocate it to the tea garden workers," he said.

The announcement marks a significant policy shift for Assam's tea industry, which has long grappled with issues of workers' rights and land ownership. Tea garden workers, many of whom are descendants of labourers brought from other states over 200 years ago, have historically lived on garden premises without land ownership.

In addition to land redistribution, the state government will implement a 3 per cent reservation quota for tea garden youth in the Assam Civil Service (ACS), Assam Police Service (APS), and other first and second category government positions starting this year. The initiative also includes creating magistrate and Deputy Superintendent of Police posts specifically in tea garden areas.

"I firmly believe that until the tea garden workers of Assam receive land rights, their lives can never be secure," Sarma stated, reaffirming a commitment he made in the Assembly three years ago. He emphasised that securing these rights remains a priority during his tenure as Chief Minister.

The tea tribes community, which has been integral to Assam's social and economic fabric for two centuries, will gain enhanced opportunities for advancement in the state's mainstream economy through these measures. Sarma later tweeted that the government would provide "full support to the community in fulfilling all their aspirations."

The proposed legislation is expected to affect thousands of tea garden workers across Assam, one of India's largest tea-producing states.