Guwahati witnessed a transformative moment as Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma declared land ownership for more than 3.5 lakh tea garden worker families. Dubbed contemporary India’s grandest land reform, this step rectifies decades of denial for the backbone of Assam’s tea economy.
In his X post, Sarma detailed how the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Act, 2025, dismantles systemic barriers. These workers, over 200 years, nurtured Assam’s tea legacy from labor lines that were never theirs. Prior laws shielded plantations, classifying home plots as corporate assets and exposing families to perennial eviction risks.
The overhaul allows state acquisition of these plots, granting pattas that confer true ownership. No longer mere occupants, workers now stand as landowners across 825 tea estates—a scale unmatched in recent national history.
The ripple effects extend far: eviction fears vanish, and eligibility for schemes like PMAY unlocks better living standards and welfare integration. Sarma framed it as a cornerstone for tea tribes’ socio-economic rise, affirming their role in Assam’s cultural and economic identity.
Contrasting government deeds with opposition clamor, he affirmed, ‘We deliver reforms, not rhetoric.’ This bold policy not only restores dignity but cements inclusive development, positioning Assam as a model for equitable progress in India’s heartlands.