Gadchiroli Snakebite Deaths: Fadnavis Orders School Licence Cancellation

Mumbai: After three girls died of snakebite at an ashram school in Gadchiroli, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered the permanent cancellation of the licence of the government-aided residential school for tribal children. The state government also decided to conduct a third-party audit of 550 aided ashram schools across Maharashtra.

Mr Fadnavis ordered the suspension of officials who had inspected the school and submitted an inspection report. He issued the directives after Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike briefed the State Cabinet on the incident.

Six students were bitten by a venomous snake around midnight on Sunday at the ashram school in Japtalai village, about 10 km from the Dhanora taluka headquarters in Gadchiroli district. The girls were sleeping on the floor of the school hostel. Three of them died, while the other three are undergoing treatment.

According to sources, the negligence and lack of basic facilities at the Gadchiroli ashram school came up for sharp discussion at the Cabinet meeting.

Mr Uike expressed anger over the manner in which the school was being run by former Minister of State and Congress leader Marotrao Kowase. “How can we forgive a leader like Congress’s Marotrao Kowase, who has served as an MLA three times and as an MP once, if they run ashram schools in this manner and compromise the safety of young girls?” the Tribal Development Minister said.

Mr Fadnavis said the school had neither adequate teachers nor a warden despite receiving government grants. The school had allegedly failed to provide basic facilities to its students despite receiving financial assistance from the government.

The Chief Minister directed the Tribal Development Department to take strict action against those responsible. “He ordered that the officer who had inspected the ashram school and submitted the inspection report be suspended,” said an official who attended the Cabinet meeting.

Mr Fadnavis also directed the department not to limit inspections to ashram schools located along main roads. He stressed that schools in interior and remote areas should also be inspected regularly to ensure that students have adequate facilities and proper safety and security.

“The Chief Minister also ordered that the licence of the concerned ashram school be permanently cancelled,” officials said.

Mr Fadnavis directed State Chief Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal to hold a meeting with all concerned departments to establish a comprehensive inspection mechanism for ashram schools across the State. “The inspection mechanism will come up with an SOP for the running of ashram schools,” officials said.

An official from the Tribal Development Department said stern action would be taken against the school after the investigation was completed. “The Additional Tribal Commissioner has issued a show-cause notice to the concerned tribal ashram school. We are expecting a reply from the school within a week,” he said.