By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 14: In a move characterised as too little, too late, the state government has taken a tentative step toward addressing the colossal administrative failure to end illegal rat-hole mining by transferring the East Jaintia Hills district police chief following a mine tragedy that killed 31 labourers, replacing him with the head of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force.
According to a Home (Police) department notification dated February 14, 2026, Vikash Kumar (IPS, RR 2018), who was serving as SP of East Jaintia Hills, has been transferred and posted as SP, Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Shillong.
In his place, the government has appointed Pankaj Kumar Rasgania (IPS, RR 2020), the outgoing SP of the ANTF. The appointment of Rasgania, an officer junior to his predecessor, suggests a strategic shift as the government scrambles to manage the fallout from the February 5 disaster.
While the official order cited the “interest of public service” on the recommendation of the Civil Services Board, the reshuffle is widely viewed as a reaction to the illegal mining explosion that killed several workers and injured others.
The tragedy has once again exposed the persistence of illegal rat-hole mining in the Jaintia Hills, despite a decade-long ban by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This latest incident echoes the 2018 Ksan tragedy and the 2021 Umtyngngar cases, highlighting a pattern where administrative transfers often follow major accidents, yet the underlying lawlessness in the coal belt remains unaddressed.
Govt institutes probe
Under mounting pressure following the deaths of 31 miners and a high-profile identification blunder, the Meghalaya government on Friday constituted a three-member judicial commission to probe the East Jaintia Hills blast—tasking it not only with finding the culprits but also with exploring constitutional “exemptions” to federal mining laws.
The inquiry, instituted under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, will be headed by Justice (Retd) RS Chauhan. The other members are retired IPS officer H Nongpluh and retired IAS officer PS Dkhar. The commission has been given six months to submit its findings.
Notably, the notification issued by Chief Secretary Dr Shakil P Ahammed cites the date of the explosion at the illegal mine in Mynsngat-Thangsko as January 5, 2026, despite the incident reportedly occurring on February 5.
The commission is mandated to produce a comprehensive fact-finding report on the acts or omissions of authorities and identify failures to prevent the disaster. Beyond investigating the circumstances of the blast, the panel will examine the root causes of illegal coal mining in Meghalaya and the working conditions of those dependent on the industry.
In a significant move that aligns with the state’s efforts to restart mining, the commission has also been tasked with suggesting whether the government should approach the President of India for “relaxation, modification, or exception” from the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
By invoking Para 12A(b) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the government seeks to determine if traditional mining practices can be used as grounds to bypass federal parliamentary laws—potentially using the inquiry into a mass-casualty event to secure legal leverage for the industry’s return.
Additionally, the panel will recommend remedial measures, administrative reforms, and financial rehabilitation schemes for those affected by the National Green Tribunal’s 2014 ban on coal mining.
The commission will conduct its proceedings in Shillong, with all expenditures borne by the state’s Mining and Geology department.
