Ex-J'khand CM Champai Soren hails Assam govt for granting land rights to tea workers

Jamshedpur, Nov 30 (PTI) BJP leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Champai Soren hailed the Assam government for the passage of a bill granting land ownership rights to tea plantation workers in the northeastern state.

The Assam assembly had on Friday passed an amendment bill, which will enable the government to distribute land in tea estates’ labour lines among the workers for housing ownership.

The decision of the Assam government will benefit millions of tribals and other workers who have been settled there for 200 years, Soren said on a social media platform on Saturday.

The BJP leader also welcomed the Assam cabinet's nod to a proposal to include tea plantation workers, mostly tribals connected to the soil of Jharkhand, in the Schedule Tribe category.

Soren, the BJP MLA from Jharkhand's Seraikela constituency, alleged that the Congress governments in Assam had always denied the rights of these workers settled in the northeastern state for many centuries.

"But the BJP government there has taken a strong step towards fulfilling their demand by honouring the decades-old struggle of these workers," Soren added.

On behalf of the tribal society, he extended his heartfelt thanks to the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for the "historic decisions".

Reciprocating on the social media platform, Sarma on Sunday hailed Soren for his inspiring words.

Strengthening the rights of the tea community and tribal society is the "foremost commitment of our government", Sarma said.

"Your best wishes will continue to inspire us to bring positive changes in the lives of all tea worker families," he added. PTI BS BDC