PM Modi to Empower 3.5 Lakh Assam Tea Worker Families with Land Ownership Deeds

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch a transformative land distribution drive in Assam on March 13, 2026, granting legal land deeds pattas to thousands of tea garden workers. This historic initiative aims to benefit nearly 3.5 lakh families across 825 tea estates, many of whom have lived in labor lines for over two centuries without homestead rights. By amending the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Landholdings Act in November 2025, the state government paved the way to transfer ownership from tea garden authorities to the workers themselves. The Prime Minister will personally hand over the first land certificate in Kokrajhar, signaling a major “course correction” for the tea tribe community, which constitutes nearly 20% of the state’s population.

Beyond land ownership, the visit will see the inauguration of development projects worth ₹10,000 crore, including infrastructure foundations like the Silchar-Shillong-Guwahati Express Highway. To further support the community, the Assam government has also notified an interim minimum wage hike of ₹30 per day and integrated the workers into the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) for pucca house construction. This dual focus on legal identity through land rights and economic upliftment marks a significant milestone in the welfare of the Adivasi and tea tribe communities, ensuring that generations of workers finally have a permanent, legal stake in the land they have cultivated for centuries.