Tea workers in the GTA area to get ownership rights of all the land, says L. B. Rai

YAWAN GURUNG, EOI, MIRIK, 4 NOVEMBER 2023 : Hill Trinamool Congress Chairman and Mirik Municipality Chairman L B Rai while talking to reporters on Saturday said that the tea workers of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration area would get the ownership rights of all the land. “This is a great achievement for the hill people,” he said.  

“For a long time, tea garden residents have been demanding the lease of their entire land. It will be completed at the initiative of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and GTA Chief Anit Thapa. For this I would like to thank Mamata Banerjee and Anit Thapa.” 

He said the State Government had issued instructions to the District Collectors of Darjeeling and Kalimpong to inspect all the land under their control in the tea command of the GTA region as the first step to get the ownership rights of all the land. 

“In August 2023, after the decision to distribute land patta up to 5 decimals, there was dissatisfaction among various tea organizations as well as tea workers,” Rai said. 

“The survey was stopped in our area after GTA Chief Anit Thapa immediately placed this matter before the State Government for the welfare and rights of the workers. 

Currently, the directive issued by the State Government to survey all the land in our area by rejecting the earlier directive is welcome, and it is a victory for all of us.”