Serpentine queues in front of Covid-19 vaccination centres are a common sight across the country but not at Capitol Hall in Darjeeling.

The issue is not vaccine hesitancy but technophobia.

The state government has introduced a WhatsApp chatbot to book vaccination slots and Capitol Hall is the only centre in Darjeeling where all bookings have to be made through WhatsApp number 8335999000. Through the chatbot, people aged above 45 years can avail either of the two doses of Covishield.

C.P. Subba, secretary, Darjeeling municipality, admitted the centre was receiving only 55 to 65 registrations a day against their daily target of 100 jabs ever since the initiative started about 10 days back. “We have not been able to reach our daily target of 100 jabs,” said Subba.

Subba suggested “probably most people above 45 years old” have been vaccinated in Darjeeling. “Also, not many are turning up for a second dose of Covishield as most cannot fulfil the 84 days gap between two doses of Covishield,” he added.

However, many residents this newspaper spoke to in Darjeeling did talk about being technophobic. Some pointed out snags, others could not follow chatbot messages diligently and hence could not register themselves.

Piyush Salunkhe, the SDO of Darjeeling who is also the administrator of Darjeeling municipality, recently held a meeting with social organisations on ways to popularise the chatbot.

Turnout is more at a centre with the traditional first-come, first-serve system for vaccination, indicating discomfort with the chatbot.

“At the Ghoom-Jorebunglow centre, also run by the Darjeeling municipality, where you can just walk in, we get a daily footfall of 160-170 people against the allotted quota of 200 jabs,” said Subba.

But booking through chatbot gives every registered person a day and time, making the jab process smooth. There is no need to stand for hours. “We received messages from registered users appreciating the smooth vaccination process,” said Subba.

In neighbouring Kalimpong, which has managed to vaccinate the highest percentage of its population among districts of Bengal, including the 18-plus population, chatbots are a problem. Vimala Ranganathan, the DM of Kalimpong, said not many were registering for vaccines via the chatbot.

South 24-Parganas administration also launched a Whatsapp chatbot to book vaccination slots for people aged above 45 in nine locations of all the seven municipalities, district magistrate P Ulagananathan said. The number is 833599000. The usual system of first-come, first-serve, will continue.