Deputy Chief Minister Incharge of Home (Police), Meghalaya, Prestone Tynsong, on Monday informed that the state government has directed the district administration to verify unverified claims emerging from Thangskai village, alleging that three coal labourers were buried alive in a rat-hole mine collapse. “We’re not getting any report now, in fact, I’ve already directed our East Jaintia Hills District Administrations to find out whether it’s true or not. But till now, we are yet to get any clue on that,” Tynsong said, underscoring the urgency of the investigation.
Addressing allegations by the state BJP on illegal coal mining, he added, “Telling you we are always on a job of checking out and reaching out wherever we get the information if illegal mining takes place or not. And that is the ongoing process that we are doing and we are trying our best to make sure that illegal mining does not at all take place. Of course there are challenges because the places where we have to go, you can’t even, there is no approach. You have to go walking, it takes you not less than five hours, six hours, deep down to the gorge. So therefore the challenges are there, no doubt we, but still we are trying our best and we have instructed the district administrations to be more proactive on this sector, make sure that the illegal mining does not happen.”
Earlier on Monday, East Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner Shivansh Awasthi said he would seek a report from the police after the unverified claims surfaced, adding, “Yes, will ask report from police.” He clarified, “No such complain or info received in my office.” Police authorities have also maintained that there is no confirmation of any such incident so far, highlighting the continuing concern over abandoned rat-hole mines in the district despite the 2014 ban.
