Gadchiroli Ashram School Licence Cancelled After Three Students Die of Snakebite

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered the permanent cancellation of the licence of an ashram school in Gadchiroli district after three female boarders died from snakebites late on Sunday night. Fadnavis also ordered the suspension of a tribal development department official who had recently conducted a routine inspection of the residential institution and submitted a positive report.

The accident occurred late Sunday night while over 50 girl boarders were asleep on the floor of the residential school. A snake bit six students, resulting in the deaths of three. The remaining three students are undergoing medical treatment, with one reported to be in critical condition.

The ashram school in Gadchiroli has been run by the Kuparlingo Educational and Cultural Development Research Institute since 1992 and is associated with former Congress MP Marotrao Kowase. Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike brought the incident to the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday, pointing out that the institution lacked both a warden and teachers, and was being operated by two Class IV employees.

Fadnavis stated during the meeting that the institution failed to provide basic facilities despite receiving government grants. Beyond cancelling the licence and suspending the inspecting official, the chief minister instructed the chief secretary to convene a meeting to establish a comprehensive inspection mechanism for all such residential schools, directing regular inspections in remote and interior areas.

Following the cabinet meeting, Minister Uike announced that all government-aided ashram schools across Maharashtra will undergo a third-party audit, warning that management failing to provide basic facilities will face strict action. Uike added that an investigation will determine whether the inspecting official submitted a false or misleading report.

The opposition criticized the state government following the deaths. Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal questioned how students were sleeping on the floor instead of cots while the school regularly received state grants, alleging government negligence and failure in monitoring the institution.