Overview
- The Tea Association of India asked the Assam government to issue clear rules before enforcing the February amendment that grants land deeds to roughly 3.5 lakh plantation-worker families across more than 800 estates.
- The industry cautioned that many estates have pledged land as collateral with banks, so transferring those plots could trigger legal disputes and fresh financial strain.
- TAI noted the law covers only land even though worker quarters were built by companies, and it sought compensation under the 2013 land acquisition and rehabilitation law to cover those assets.
- The body said the 2020 safety and working conditions code still makes management responsible for housing and welfare, which could leave estates with duties for homes they no longer control unless laws are aligned.
- Planters also pressed for release of pending ATISIS subsidies and asked the state to count more in-kind benefits in wage calculations to ease cost pressure in a labour-heavy sector.