Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced Saturday it has paid a total of 50.3 bn yen in temporary relief money to residents, businesses and fishery and agricultural organizations who have been affected by the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant [exchange rate is 80.1 yen to the dollar].

Payments to residents totaled around 49 bn yen for roughly 52,000 households among approximately 63,000 who have applied for relief money. They were given 1 million yen per household, except for those single-member units that were given 750,000 yen.

Around 160m yen was paid to 105 small businesses, while four organizations received 1.15 bn yen.

TEPCO said it is hoping to begin paying full-fledged compensation once the government works out relevant legislation to support crisis-hit people and businesses.

Source: Kyodo News Service, Tokyo, in English 1353 gmt 18 Jun 11