Giving land rights to tea plantation workers in Assam will not solve their problem. The devil is in the details |
Written by Rinju Rasaily and Devika Singh Shekhawat
On November 28, it wasn’t business as usual in the tea plantations of Assam. The Assam government declared a holiday for tea plantation workers to watch the news of the landmark passing of the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Act, 2025 in the Assembly. The main focus of the Act, which has garnered widespread attention, is the insertion of a new Section 7A in the Act whereby “the government, after acquiring land under labour lines, gives settlement of such lands to tea garden workers residing and in occupation of such land.”
At first, it appears that the longstanding demand for pattas (land titles) for tea........