Land pattas to small tea growers

Planters to acquire maximum 30 bighas of land

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 9: In a move to offer its support to small tea growers who have brought a revolution and contributed to the State’s progress and prosperity, the Sarbananda Sonowal Government has decided to issue land pattas to such growers.

Towards this end the department of revenue and disaster management has already issued a notification to allot land pattas to small tea growers, who have been growing tea by collecting a premium of Rs 1,000 per bigha. A single grower will be allowed to have maximum of 30 bighas of land. Land pattas will be allotted only to those small tea growers who are registered with the Tea Board of India and directorate of tea.

The government has, however, categorically made it clear that land given to small tea growers cannot be transferred to anyone in the form of sale, mortgage, lease and gift under any circumstance within 10 years from the date of issuing pattas. Land to be allotted to small tea growers by the government will not be used for any other purpose but tea cultivation.

Local youths of Assam in large numbers had undertaken small tea cultivation and come a long way now contributing to the State’s progress. About 1.3 lakh small tea growers (as stated by STG associations though the government figure was 78,000) in the State were being deprived of a lot of benefits for lack of land pattas of their plantations. Now with getting ownership of land for tea plantation purpose, the small growers will be able to augment their production.