<p>Guwahati: The BJP-led government's decision to allot land to over three lakh tea garden workers, its major vote bank in poll-bound Assam, is caught in complications with the estate owners flagging several hurdles to be cleared before implementing the same.</p><p>Tea Association of India, a prominent organisation of tea planters and traders, says the move could land them in legal trouble as those land has remained as collateral to banks for loans. </p><p>The land in Assam's over 850 big tea gardens were leased by the government decades ago for plantations, factories and housing for the workers. But garden workers lacked land documents (patta) causing several problems including inability to take bank loans. </p><p>In November last year, Assam government passed The Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holding (Amendment) Bill, 2025, paving the way for allotment of land deeds to workers living in labour lines. This has remained as one of the major demands of the tea garden workers, other being granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.</p><p><strong>Political significance - </strong></p><p>The decision to provide land patta is significant given the fact that tea garden workers are deciding factors in at least 35 Assembly constituencies (out of 126). As BJP targets the Bengali-speaking Muslims alleging them as "infiltrators," the party's focus is on the votes of the tea garden workers and those of the indigenous communities. </p><p>The bill for allotment of land was passed at a time the garden workers launched an agitation threatening to "teach BJP a lesson" in the ensuing Assembly elections (March-April) for failing to meet its pre-poll promise of ST status. </p>.Congress expresses 'grave concern' over Venezuela, Left parties denounces American 'aggression'.<p>The move came as BJP's attempt to pacify the tea garden workers but Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 1 said many garden owners were not co-operating in handing over the land to the government. "This is a historic decision by the government in the 200-year-old history of tea industry in Assam. But the response from some gardens has not been very positive. Let me make it very clear today that action may be initiated against those garden owners not co-operating with the government. The government may withdraw the incentives they are being provided for production of orthodox tea or other matters." </p><p><strong>Industry hurdles -</strong></p><p>Sandeep Singhania, president of Tea Association of India, on Saturday said although they appreciate the intent of the government, transfer of the land would create financial and legal complications as those has remained as collateral to banks. </p><p>"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 management needs to be adequately compensated under the provisions of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013," Singhania said at the 50th biennial general meeting of the Association held in Kolkata.</p><p>The association has around 350 planters, factory owners and traders in Assam, Bengal and other states as its members.</p><p>Singhania also said that the state act for allotment of land does not absolve the management from the statutory obligations of providing housing and other amenities to workers as per The Plantations Labour Act 1951, which is now subsumed into Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, a central law. "Unless the present act is amended, managements would remain responsible for housing, even after the land is transferred," he said. </p>
<p>Guwahati: The BJP-led government's decision to allot land to over three lakh tea garden workers, its major vote bank in poll-bound Assam, is caught in complications with the estate owners flagging several hurdles to be cleared before implementing the same.</p><p>Tea Association of India, a prominent organisation of tea planters and traders, says the move could land them in legal trouble as those land has remained as collateral to banks for loans. </p><p>The land in Assam's over 850 big tea gardens were leased by the government decades ago for plantations, factories and housing for the workers. But garden workers lacked land documents (patta) causing several problems including inability to take bank loans. </p><p>In November last year, Assam government passed The Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holding (Amendment) Bill, 2025, paving the way for allotment of land deeds to workers living in labour lines. This has remained as one of the major demands of the tea garden workers, other being granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.</p><p><strong>Political significance - </strong></p><p>The decision to provide land patta is significant given the fact that tea garden workers are deciding factors in at least 35 Assembly constituencies (out of 126). As BJP targets the Bengali-speaking Muslims alleging them as "infiltrators," the party's focus is on the votes of the tea garden workers and those of the indigenous communities. </p><p>The bill for allotment of land was passed at a time the garden workers launched an agitation threatening to "teach BJP a lesson" in the ensuing Assembly elections (March-April) for failing to meet its pre-poll promise of ST status. </p>.Congress expresses 'grave concern' over Venezuela, Left parties denounces American 'aggression'.<p>The move came as BJP's attempt to pacify the tea garden workers but Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on January 1 said many garden owners were not co-operating in handing over the land to the government. "This is a historic decision by the government in the 200-year-old history of tea industry in Assam. But the response from some gardens has not been very positive. Let me make it very clear today that action may be initiated against those garden owners not co-operating with the government. The government may withdraw the incentives they are being provided for production of orthodox tea or other matters." </p><p><strong>Industry hurdles -</strong></p><p>Sandeep Singhania, president of Tea Association of India, on Saturday said although they appreciate the intent of the government, transfer of the land would create financial and legal complications as those has remained as collateral to banks. </p><p>"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 management needs to be adequately compensated under the provisions of Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013," Singhania said at the 50th biennial general meeting of the Association held in Kolkata.</p><p>The association has around 350 planters, factory owners and traders in Assam, Bengal and other states as its members.</p><p>Singhania also said that the state act for allotment of land does not absolve the management from the statutory obligations of providing housing and other amenities to workers as per The Plantations Labour Act 1951, which is now subsumed into Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, a central law. "Unless the present act is amended, managements would remain responsible for housing, even after the land is transferred," he said. </p>