Japan has announced a $49 billion reconstruction budget for areas devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. It would cover restoration work such as clearing massive amounts of rubble and building temporary houses for thousands of people who lost their homes in the disaster. It was the first special budget approved by Prime Minister Naoto Kan's Cabinet since the disaster hit north-east Japan on March 11 leaving more than 27,000 people dead or missing. The Government said it was also planning to widen the evacuation zone around the Fukushima atomic plant, which has been leaking radiation since it was severely damaged by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami. The government says the evacuation zone would be extended to areas beyond the 20-kilometre no-go zone where radiation levels have been rising.