Some ¥50.4 billion to establish a new nuclear safety agency in April under the Environment Ministry will be allocated in the initial draft budget for fiscal 2012, the government decided Saturday.

The agency is intended to replace the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, the current regulatory body under the trade ministry, and take on related tasks, including environmental radiation monitoring that is currently carried out by other organizations.

With a staff of 485, the new regulator will focus on reinforcing crisis management functions and upgrading nuclear safety regulations in light of the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture.