Maharashtra Tribal School Loses Licence After 3 Students Die Due To Snakebite

The tragic death of three tribal girls in a venomous snakebite at a Maharashtra government-aided residential school in Gadhiroli has exposed the precarious conditions at the facility and alleged indifference, leading to permanent cancellation of its license and suspension of an official on Tuesday.

The incident occurred around midnight on Sunday at the hostel in Japtalai village, about 10 km from Dhanora taluka. Six girls were bitten by a venomous snake while they were sleeping on the hostel floor.

Three of them died, the youngest of them aged eight, while three others are undergoing treatment, officials had said.

Facing flak from the Opposition, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered the permanent cancellation of the residential school's license and the suspension of the official who recently inspected the institution and submitted a favourable report despite the deficiencies.

The government has also decided to undertake a third-party audit of over 500 'ashram' or residential schools for tribal children functioning in the state, according to officials.

The residential school is run by a former Congress minister, Marotrao Kowase.

The chief minister noted that the school had neither teachers nor a warden and lacked basic facilities despite receiving government grants.

He also directed officials to ensure that inspections cover schools in remote and interior areas, and not only the institutions located along major roads.

Fadnavis asked the chief secretary to convene a meeting and establish a comprehensive inspection mechanism for ashram schools across the state.

Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike briefed the state cabinet about the incident on Tuesday. He said around 50 girls were sleeping on the floor when the snake entered the hostel and that there was no warden present at the time.

The government will also conduct a third-party audit of around 511 aided tribal residential schools in Maharashtra, Uike told PTI.

The supervisor responsible for visiting the Japtalai school once a month will also be suspended for allegedly failing to record the institution's poor condition in the visit book, the minister said and assured a detailed investigation.

Uike also questioned how the school, which has been run by former minister of state and former MP Marotrao Kovase since 1992, was being operated in a manner that compromised the safety of girls.

The incident drew sharp criticism from the opposition.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that tribal residential schools in Gadchiroli, Nandurbar and Chandrapur were in poor condition and claimed that incidents involving snake and scorpion bites occurred frequently. He also alleged that several such deaths went unrecorded.

In a controversial remark, Raut said tribal people should release snakes and scorpions at ministers' residences so that they could understand the fear faced by children in such schools.

He also targeted Fadnavis, who is the guardian minister of Gadchiroli, and demanded the resignation of ministers from the tribal community on moral grounds.

Raut further linked the condition of tribal schools to mining and environmental degradation in Gadchiroli.

He alleged that mining activities had led to deforestation, pollution and displacement of tribal communities, forcing wild animals into villages and schools.

"I will ask adivasis to catch snakes and scorpions, and release them at residences of ministers. Let them understand what fear is.

"Release snakes in 'Varsha' (the official bungalow of the chief minister) and then see how their children will run helter-skelter," Raut told reporters in New Delhi.

He claimed 1,500 tribals have been killed by vehicles used in the mining business and no record of fatalities is maintained. "Their bodies are made to disappear," he alleged and added that naxalism was eradicated for (helping) industrialists.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also held the state government accountable, alleging administrative negligence and corruption under the Mahayuti government.

Calling the incident "extremely serious", Sapkal questioned whether the Tribal Development Department had ensured that the hostel received adequate grants and basic facilities.

"If three girls die of snakebite in a hostel, it is an extremely unfortunate incident. But was the Tribal Development Department sleeping? Was the hostel receiving its regular grant? The government must take responsibility for this," Sapkal said.

He said reports that girls were sleeping on the floor needed to be examined.

Sapkal also questioned the functioning of health authorities and officials responsible for monitoring tribal hostels. He said inspections should assess actual living conditions of students, including food, drinking water, accommodation and other basic facilities.

He said cancelling the school's licence alone would not absolve the government of responsibility, arguing that the administration must ensure proper facilities and safety at all aided institutions.

Sapkal also demanded action against district officials, project officers and the Tribal Development Minister, who he said had visited Gadchiroli eight to ten days before the incident.

"Who runs the school is a separate issue. Even if the institution is run by a private management, even if it is an aided institution receiving government support, the government has to exercise control and ensure that all necessary facilities are available," he said when asked about the residential school being run by a local Congress leader.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)