SHILLONG, FEB 11: Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on Wednesday said the Meghalaya government is taking full responsibility for the recent coal mine explosion in East Jaintia Hills district, which claimed over 31 lives and triggered widespread concern across the State.

Defending Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma amid calls for accountability, Shylla said the government remains committed to serving the people despite the tragic incident.

“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,” the Minister told reporters.

Welcoming the High Court’s decision to institute an independent inquiry by a central agency, Shylla maintained that the government has nothing to conceal.

“Definitely, there is nothing to hide. We are taking this issue seriously; that is why the Chief Minister has come up with a judicial inquiry in the first place. Therefore, we welcome it,” he said.

Shylla acknowledged the challenges faced by authorities in curbing illegal coal mining in the State, noting that certain areas are difficult to monitor. He expressed shock over the scale of fresh mining activities, stating that the government was previously unaware of the extent of the operations.

The Minister informed that several mine owners and drivers allegedly involved in the illegal activities have been arrested, with two more arrests made recently.

“We are going after everybody; we are not leaving anybody who is involved in illegalities,” he asserted.

Meanwhile, the rescue operation at the site has been officially called off, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) concluding that no more bodies remain inside the mine.

The tragedy has intensified scrutiny over illegal mining practices in the region and prompted demands for stricter enforcement and accountability.