China on Thursday passed a report on the relief work and reconstruction following the May 12 earthquake that devastated the southwest Sichuan and some neighboring provinces.

The decision was made at the third session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature.

In addition, the session approved a plan raised by the State Council, China's Cabinet, on adjustment of this year's central budget to establish a reconstruction fund for post-quake scheme.

The country will spend three years to complete preliminary reconstruction and further develop the quake-hit region in the following five years, according to the plan.

Vice Premier Hui Liangyu said Wednesday 40 billion yuan (about US$5.7 billion) from the reconstruction fund would be dedicated to subsidize the rebuilding and repair of farmers' homes.

Each family in rural areas who had their homes leveled or severely damaged by the quake would be compensated 10,000 yuan to rebuild, according to a State Council executive meeting earlier this month.

The 40 billion yuan was part of a 70 billion yuan fund allocated by central finance to create a reconstruction fund for the quake-hit region this year.

When providing the budget breakdown, Minister of Finance Xie Xuren said 60 billion yuan would come from a 103.2 billion yuan special fund aimed at stabilizing the central budget. In addition, 5 billion yuan would come from vehicle purchase tax revenue, 1 billion yuan from the welfare lottery fund and 4 billion yuan from the state-owned assets operations budget.

The fund would be used in another three aspects besides subsidies for the reconstruction of "demolished families," This covered expenditures for the reconstruction of schools, hospitals and government offices; expenditures for the rebuilding infrastructure, such as electricity, transport, water supply, gas supply systems and reservoirs, and funds for industry and commerce restoration, as well as resident displacement and geological disaster prevention and control.

As of Thursday noon, the earthquake had claimed 69,185 lives and left 374,174 injured and 18,457 missing.

The magnitude-8.0 quake measured up to 11 in terms of intensity and caused millions to be homeless.

(Xinhua News Agency June 27, 2008)