Assam govt to amend Land Ceiling Act for tea tribe land distribution

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced plans to amend the Assam Land Ceiling Act to facilitate land distribution for the Tea Tribe community.

The amendment will enable the state government to allocate approximately 2.9 lakh bighas of land to nearly 4 lakh families from the community.

In a media statement, the Chief Minister revealed that the Cabinet has approved the proposal in principle. Once implemented, the amendment will allow the government to distribute a total of 2.9 lakh bighas of land to the Tea Tribe, benefiting about 4 lakh individuals. “The total land available for distribution is nearly 3 lakh bighas,” Sarma added.

On October 25, a meeting will be convened with district administrations to finalize the land allocation for each family and define the specific land boundaries. Between November 2 and 3, the state government will meet with representatives from Tea Tribe organizations to discuss the proposed amendment. Afterward, the revised Act will be presented to the Assam Legislative Assembly for approval.

This move is a significant step in addressing long-standing land rights issues within the Tea Tribe community, which plays a vital role in Assam’s socio-economic landscape.