Police will be present outside government vaccination centres from May 1 to manage queues.

Calcutta police commissioner Soumen Mitra on Friday instructed all police stations to prevent law and order problems and panic at vaccination centres, said a police officer.

Metro reported on Friday that the state health secretary had written to the Calcutta police commissioner on Thursday saying the “peaceful ambience” at vaccination centres “is turning tense” because of the “ignited demand for vaccination” and requested police presence at those sites.

Hundreds of Calcuttans are queuing up for hours every day at government vaccination centres but only a few are getting the jab as the supply runs low. That at

times triggers panic and discontent among potential recipients, often resulting in agitation.

Apart from hospitals, Covid jabs are being administered at more than 150 clinics run by the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

Over the past two days, several law and order problems were reported from the city resulting from shortage of doses.

The police fear the problem would further intensify from Saturday as people aged between 18 and 44 may turn up for vaccination.

“Till now people of age 45 years or older are eligible for vaccines…. Across the country people above 18 years will become eligible for the shot on May 1. Though in Bengal, vaccination of people between 18 and 44 years will start on May 5, there is a high possibility that many will start queuing from May 1,” said an officer in the south division.

Police officers said that if need be, they would announce through loudhailers unavailability of doses.

“We will also try to coordinate with the local administrators and civic officials to estimate the number of doses that will be available at each centre on a particular day so that we can start making announcements accordingly,” said an officer in a central Calcutta police station.

The police said in the majority of the places where vaccines were administered, people were queuing up from early morning or the night before. By the time the centres open, a hundred people have joined the queue.

“Only the first few people are getting the jab because of low availability of doses. And they get to know only in the morning. This creates a lot of confusion and discontent,” said an officer of the rank of assistant commissioner.