SHILLONG : Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on Wednesday stated that the Meghalaya government was unaware of fresh illegal coal mining activities in East Jaintia Hills, even as it takes full responsibility for the tragic coal mine explosion that claimed over 31 lives.
Defending Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, Shylla said the government remains committed to serving the people despite the unfortunate incident, which has triggered widespread concern and demands for accountability.
“We will try our best to give the best service to the people of the state. No doubt, incidents will happen and that is unfortunate, but we will try our level best,” Shylla told reporters.
Welcoming the High Court’s decision to order an independent inquiry by a central agency, the minister said the government has nothing to conceal.
“There is nothing to hide. We are taking this issue seriously and that is why the Chief Minister has already announced a judicial inquiry. We welcome the decision,” he said.
Shylla acknowledged that tackling illegal coal mining in Meghalaya remains a major challenge, citing the difficult terrain and remote locations that make monitoring difficult. He admitted that the scale of fresh mining activities came as a shock to the authorities.
Meanwhile, the government has arrested several mine owners and drivers linked to the illegal operations, with two more arrests made recently.
“We are going after everybody involved. We are not leaving anyone who is part of these illegal activities,” Shylla assured.
The rescue operation at the accident site has been officially called off, with teams from the NDRF and SDRF confirming that no more bodies are believed to be trapped inside the mine.