HT Correspondent
JORHAT, Jan 5: The Assam tea industry is preparing for a major legal confrontation with the State government over its decision to acquire tea garden “labour lines” and grant land pattas to workers, a move industry bodies allege was taken unilaterally without consultation.
The escalation follows a recent warning by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that tea estates opposing the policy would face penalties. Industry insiders, however, cautioned that the decision could have serious implications for the long-term viability of tea gardens.
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A senior planter and member of the Tea Association of India said the industry had been left with no option but to seek legal recourse, alleging that the move appeared to be driven primarily by electoral considerations linked to the tea garden workforce.
He expressed disappointment over the absence of dialogue, stating that the government had finalised the decision without consulting industry stakeholders even once.
Industry representatives argued that meaningful consultation could have led to a more balanced and mutually acceptable solution.
A key point of contention is compensation, with planters terming the proposed payment of ₹3,000 per bigha as grossly inadequate.
Beyond land value, tea garden owners are seeking compensation for decades-old infrastructure developed within labour lines.
A member of the North Eastern Tea Association said estates must be reimbursed for housing, water supply systems and electrical infrastructure created over generations. According to industry sources, preparations are underway for a prolonged legal battle, with funds being mobilised and consultations held with senior legal experts.
Meanwhile, the government has defended the initiative, which aims to grant land rights to around 3.33 lakh tea worker families across 825 estates. The Chief Minister has described the move as a historical necessity, pointing out that tea workers have lived in Assam for nearly 200 years without land ownership. Tea tribes and ex-tea tribes constitute nearly 18 per cent of Assam’s electorate and have emerged as a politically significant demographic over the past decade.
However, the industry’s apex body, the Consultative Committee of Plantation Associations, has flagged what it describes as a serious legal obstacle. It noted that under the Plantation Labour Act, 1951, labour quarters and line areas are categorised as statutory welfare facilities. According to the industry, these areas are meant exclusively for workers’ welfare and cannot legally be converted into transferable private ownership, a position it plans to contest in court.
