2011-04-18 13:17

TOKYO - A blueprint for ending radiation leaks and stabilizing reactors at Japan's crippled nuclear plant drew a lackluster response Monday, as polls showed diminishing public support for the government's handling of the country's recent disasters.

The plan issued by Tokyo Electric Power Co. over the weekend, in response to a government order, is meant to be a first step toward letting some of the tens of thousands of evacuees from near the company's Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant return to their homes.

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Those forced to flee due to radiation leaks after a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami on March 11 knocked out the plant's power and cooling systems are frustrated that their exile will not end soon. And officials acknowledge that unforeseen complications, or even another natural disaster, could set that timetable back even further.

"Well, this year is lost," said Kenji Matsueda, 49, who is living in an evacuation center in Fukushima after being forced from his home 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the plant. "I have no idea what I will do. Nine months is a long time. And it could be longer. I don't think they really know."

Pressure has been building on the government and TEPCO to resolve Japan's worst-ever nuclear power accident, with opposition leaders urging Prime Minister Naoto Kan to resign.

"Japan has never before faced a crisis like this. We are doing our utmost," Kan said in response to criticism Monday in Japan's parliament.

Polls by several Japanese national newspapers released Monday showed widespread dissatisfaction, with more than two-thirds of Japanese unhappy with how Kan's administration has dealt with the nuclear crisis.

"Nothing concrete," said a headline in the Mainichi newspaper of the plan. "The nuclear timetable does not show enough consideration for the residents," said the Nihon Keizai, a financial newspaper.

A majority of those surveyed in the polls by the Mainichi, Nihon Keizai and Asahi newspapers expressed support, though, for tax increases to pay for reconstruction of areas devastated by the tsunami.