Japan's parliament passed a second supplementary budget Monday worth about 2 trillion yen ($25.5 billion) to fund reconstruction efforts in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that ravaged the north-east. The opposition-controlled upper house voted for the final legislative step for the emergency budget, which was approved by the lower house last week, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA". The second extra budget covers grants to local governments in disaster-stricken regions and financial support for residents whose homes were damaged or destroyed. The budget will also help Tokyo Electric Power Co pay damages over the radiation leakage at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and fund health checks on residents in Fukushima prefecture over the next 30 years.
