TOKYO, July 31 -- Reconstruction in Japan's earthquake-and-tsunami-affected areas was delayed as more than 35. 3 percent of reconstruction budget in fiscal 2013 remained unused, according to Japan's Reconstruction Agency Thursday.

The agency said the budget that totaled 7,508.9 billion yen ( about 73.06 billion U.S. dollars) was not efficiently used due to shortages of workers, surges in material prices and divergences between governments and local residents on reconstruction plans, reported local media.

For instance, nearly a half of the 996 billion yen that allocated for decontaminating radiation-polluted areas after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster was unused as it was hard to secure storage sites for the contaminated waste, Japan' s Kyodo News cited the agency as saying.

Around 55.2 percent of the 1,046.7 billion yen allocated for post-disaster restoration work was unused partly due to lack of consent by local residents about the height of seawalls and other reasons.

The budget idling rate in fiscal 2013 that ended in March surpassed those of in the fiscal 2012, said Kyodo, adding the new figure gave the latest evidence of delays in rebuilding efforts in Japan's northeast disaster-hit region.