Anit Thapa, the chief executive of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), on Monday hit out against Opposition leaders in the hills, alleging they were trying to deprive most tea dwellers of land rights by raising an issue that would affect only a small and privileged percentage.

On August 1, the state government issued a notification to grant land rights to all garden workers, “retiring and/or retired landless labourers and long-term occupiers of tea gardens,” across north Bengal.

Each family is to be granted 5 decimals of homestead pattas (deed of settlement), the notification said.

However, most Opposition parties in the hills — from the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha to the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) — want the state government to provide documents to the entire land that the tea workers have possessed for generations, not just 5 decimals.

"How many workers possess more than 5 decimals?" asked Thapa on Monday.

"We are aware of the realities in the tea gardens. Most of the workers do not even have 3 decimals of land. It is only about 20 per cent of the tea dwellers who possess more than 5 decimals of land,” Thapa added.

The hill leader said that the official decision to grant land rights to tea garden dwellers was an important development as the workers would now have an official document of their land.

“They would no longer need permission from the management, who are opposed to granting this land right, to build houses, homestays or anything for that matter. Right now, it is difficult even to construct the offices of local clubs as the management (in many places) does not provide no-objection certificates,” said Thapa.

Tea gardens are leased out by the state government for a period of 30 years.

Thapa’s party, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM), on Monday also held a victory rally in Kurseong to celebrate their performance in the hills in the recent rural polls.

"We are fulfilling our poll promises and the Opposition parties are attacking me as they feel if land rights are granted Anit Thapa will get complete support of tea garden dwellers,” said Thapa.

Granting land rights to tea garden dwellers is a promise made by all political parties for nearly two decades now.

Thapa added they would not force anyone to accept the land document. “We will not force anyone. Let those who are willing accept the document.”

The GTA chief, however, said he had also written a letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee requesting her to provide the entire land to dwellers who possess more than 5 decimals.

"I have thanked her (the chief minister) for the 5 decimals but have also requested her to consider providing agricultural pattas for those who have more than 5 decimals,” said Thapa, whose party is an ally of Bengal's ruling Trinamul in the hills.

Land up to 8 decimals can be granted through homestead pattas. However, the government can grant up to 1 acre under agricultural pattas.

According to the August 1 notification, the settlement process for homestead pattas is to be conducted at the block land and land reforms office and the settlement (patta) will include names of women of each family.

The settlements are to be made in a “cluster approach” with enough space for amenities such as roads, drainage, streetlights and livelihood-extension services.