The move, enabled by amendments to the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holding Act, 2025, ensures that workers will no longer lose their homes after retirement. Surveys and verification begin mid-December, with pattas expected to be distributed later this month
BY PC Bureau
December 7, 2025: In a landmark decision, the Assam government has announced that nearly 3 lakh tea garden worker families living in labour lines across 825 tea estates will receive land pattas for the first time in history. The reform has been enabled through amendments to the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holding Act, 2025, making Assam the first Indian state to convert industrial land into permanent residential settlements for workers.
For over two centuries, tea garden workers — many of whose ancestors were brought to Assam through forced migration — lived in company quarters that often housed multiple generations. Upon retirement, families were forced to vacate these quarters, leaving many homeless or dependent on relatives.
The new policy ends this cycle by granting workers land rights where they currently live, regardless of employment status.
Workers across districts have expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Tea Tribes & Adivasi Welfare Minister Rupesh Gowala. Women workers, in particular, said the move ensures long overdue security, dignity, and stability for their families.
The recent decision of the Govt of Assam to grant land rights to the tea tribe and indigenous communities has sparked a new wave of joy across the state.
This joy reflects the fulfillment of their long standing demand for land rights. pic.twitter.com/aFVSIdPFHU
— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) December 6, 2025
Under the amendment, all labour line land will be formally transferred to the government. District commissioners and Mandals will carry out detailed surveys, mapping, and verification for each tea estate.
Each garden will have a four-member committee to help workers complete paperwork and applications. Mapping and form-filling are slated to begin in mid-December 2025, and pattas will be distributed later the same month.
READ: China to Foreign Media: Shut Up About Hong Kong Fire—Or Else
READ: IndiGo Crisis Revives Anger Over Manipur Airfare Loot
The transition covers approximately 2.18 lakh bighas. The government will compensate tea estates at ₹3,000 per bigha, amounting to roughly ₹65 crore. Verification work is already underway in estates under the Assam Tea Corporation and several gardens in Tinsukia district, which are expected to be among the earliest to complete the process.
Officials say the reform will not only provide permanent housing security but will also make tea garden workers eligible for a broader range of welfare schemes. With pattas, families can upgrade homes, access bank loans, and invest confidently in their futures.
The move marks a historic shift in India’s labour welfare policy and positions Assam as a national pioneer in recognising longstanding socio-economic rights of tea garden communities.
