Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Meghalaya unit has given its fact-finding committee an additional two weeks to submit its report on illegal coal mining.

The committee, headed by state BJP vice president Bernard Marak, was initially given 40 days to gather evidence.

Marak stated that the committee is conducting field visits and collating reports to ensure a thorough investigation.

"Our duty is to find out whether the claims and allegations about illegal coal mining are true or not. We will submit facts," he claimed.

The committee's report will be submitted to the BJP's state head office and then forwarded to the central leadership. Once the report is submitted, the state-level committee will review the findings and decide on the next course of action.

Marak clarified that the committee's objective is not to initiate action but to uncover the facts. He also noted that if illegalities are proven, the state committee will decide how to proceed after reviewing the report.

The investigation involves on-the-ground inspections and consultations with civil society groups, whose inputs are being incorporated into the report.