Tea garden delay over land for school riles Assam minister

GUWAHATI: Assam Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern that despite request from the state government tea garden managements in the state had not responded to the government's appeal to give one acres of land to set up a high school in the tea garden areas.

Assam has over 850 big tea estates.

Sarma said, “We sought from the tea garden management in Assam to give us about one acres of land for setting up a high school for the benefit of the students of the tea community. However, in last three months the education department is yet to get a favorable response from the tea garden management in this regard."

Sarma asked the Chief Secretary to de-list at least one or two acres of land from the tea gardens so that the state government can set up high schools in the tea garden areas. Sarma said, “The lands belong to the state government. State government have leased out the lands to the tea gardens.

We are going to take back one or two acres of our land from the garden management so that we can set up a high school, a community hall or a hospital for the benefit of the community,“Assam government has decided to reserve at least three seats in each of the six medical colleges every year for the students of the tea tribe community".