Japan Govt to Review N-Accident Compensation Criteria

Tokyo, Nov. 10 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese government panel agreed Thursday to review the state's guidelines on the criteria for compensation for people affected by the country's worst nuclear accident, which occurred in Fukushima Prefecture in March 2011.

The decision came after the panel received a final report from experts who looked into court rulings ordering the government to pay more compensation than the amount set under its interim guidelines for damages related to the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.

The dispute reconciliation panel for nuclear damage compensation said it is set to summarize the points of five items, including psychological damage caused by the loss of people's hometowns or changes that occurred in their hometowns due to the March 2011 triple meltdown at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. <9501> plant, presented in the report, and make efforts to take into account the newly classified types of damage.

The current guidelines stipulate that around 100,000 yen be paid monthly per person in compensation for psychological damage caused by evacuations.

In March this year, however, the Supreme Court finalized seven rulings ordering TEPCO to pay more compensation than stipulated in the guidelines. Calls for a review of the guidelines have been growing among local residents.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]