TEPCO asks for $9-Billion more for compensation

The operator of the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is seeking nearly $ 9 billion in additional government funds to help it compensate people affected by the March disaster. Tokyo Electric Power Company says it needs more funding because a government panel has ruled that people who evacuated voluntarily should also be compensated, according to Japanese (NHK WORLD). The power firm says it also needs to pay compensation to households which will not be able to return home even after next April. The government plans to study the request and the firm''s cost-cutting efforts before it decides how much it will assist to finance the payments. The utility is already set to receive 11.5 billion dollars in public funds from the Nuclear Damage Compensation Facilitation Corporation. As of now, TEPCO has paid out more than 3 billion dollars in compensation to people who have evacuated. However, the firm is under criticism for its slow payouts.