The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) has decided to form committees at three levels — district, block and local or garden — to conduct land surveys in tea gardens of GTA areas.

The decision was taken during a meeting held between the GTA and tea trade unions of Darjeeling hills on Saturday.

Rajesh Chowhan, the deputy chairman of the GTA Sabha, said that representatives of Opposition parties had also agreed on forming the district, block and local level committees.

“The district level committee will act like a supervisory committee and will have representatives from the GTA, district magistrate office and trade unions,” said Chowhan.

The block level committee will take up the role of a “programme implementation committee” and will have block officials and representatives from tea unions.

“The local unit level committee at the garden level will also be formed,” said Chowhan.

“The survey will be held only after all the committees have been formed,” said Chowhan.

The day’s development is expected to come as a major relief for Anit Thapa, chief executive of the GTA, who had earlier faced massive protests mobilised by the Opposition parties after the state government initially announced a land rights decision for the residents of tea gardens but with a 5-decimal cap.

On August 1, the state government issued a notification to distribute 5 decimal of homestead pattas not just to workers of tea gardens in north Bengal but also to other residents.

However, the cap on land triggered massive protests in Darjeeling hills. The Opposition opposed the scheme, stating that many tea garden workers had more than 5 decimals of land in their possession and they should get rights to the entire land.

Government surveyors were not allowed to conduct surveys in many Darjeeling gardens. The survey was discontinued in Darjeeling hills from September 12.

Thapa was instrumental in mediating with the state government over the land rights issue. After initially supporting the government’s five-decimal cap, he made a U-turn once he realised the magnitude of the protests.

On November 2, the state government again issued a notice to “resume survey work in tea gardens in GTA areas on ‘as in where is basis’ without reference to any limitations on area held”. Simply put, the 5-decimal cap was done away with.

Sunil Rai, representative of the Joint Forum, an umbrella organisation of around 20-odd trade unions in the region, said they agreed to the survey now.

“Since the survey is important to identify the amount of land that the workers possess, we have decided not to oppose it,” said Rai.

Some Opposition leaders pointed out that the November 2 notification did not promise to provide documents for the entire land in possession of workers.

“The new notification is only about the survey, to which we have agreed,” an Opposition leader said.