Reservation in govt jobs securing future of tea garden community, says Assam CM

Guwahati, Dec 18 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday asserted that the decision to provide three per cent reservation to the tea garden community in government jobs has secured their future.  

CM Sarma argued that for the Tea Tribe community, the three per cent reservation is more than a number; it is opportunity, dignity, and a future secured through fairness.

“Today, many families celebrate dignity, opportunity, and new beginnings,” he added.

Recently, the state government has handed over at least 5,500 appointment letters to successful candidates for various government posts, in which a three per cent reservation to the tea garden community was provided. According to the Chief Minister, the decision provided a great opportunity for the people belonging to the community, and they can lead their lives in a dignified manner by serving the state government.

He mentioned that those who have secured the jobs were delighted by the initiatives of the ruling dispensation.

Notably, last month, the Assam Legislative Assembly took a historic step to address a long-standing injustice by passing the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a move set to grant land rights to nearly three lakh tea garden workers for the first time in the state’s history.

Chief Minister Sarma said the amendment would bring dignity, stability and long-overdue security to thousands of tea garden families who have lived for generations without legal ownership of the land they inhabit.

Under the amended provisions, land pattas will be issued to workers for the plots on which they currently reside, formally recognising their right to shelter and livelihood.

To safeguard the interests of the beneficiaries and prevent distress sales or exploitation, the Chief Minister said the allotted land cannot be sold for a period of 20 years.

Even after this lock-in period, any transfer of land will be permitted only within the same community, ensuring that the benefits of the reform remain with tea garden workers.

Highlighting parallel measures for the social upliftment of the tea community, CM Sarma referred to the reservation of MBBS seats for students from the community as another landmark intervention.

--IANS

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