Indian officials say the government will no longer forcibly seize private land in order to create controversial economic zones for foreign industries.
Government officials on Thursday said developers must now compensate landowners in order to acquire their property.
The government is creating so-called Special Economic Zones that offer tax-breaks to foreign industries. Its goal is to boost trade and foreign investment in India.
Officials today lifted a temporary ban on the creation of such areas. They also limited the size of the zones to a maximum of 50 square kilometers.
The government suspended plans to establish the zones earlier this year, after land seizures led to fatal clashes between villagers and authorities in West Bengal state.
Gautam Gupta has more on how it affects West Bengal.
