Locals left in the lurch as outsiders grab vaccination slots in remote Shimla area

Official’s appeal elicits positive response; many non-residents cancel their slots.

In the absence of smooth Internet connectivity in the remote Dodra-Kwar area of Shimla district in Himachal Pradesh, many locals in the 18-44 age group are finding it difficult to get slots for vaccination, even as most of the slots for May 27 were booked by outsiders, forcing local authorities to appeal to all outsiders to cancel their slots to let residents of this remote region get inoculated. The appeal made by B.R. Sharma, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate at Rohru, on May 25 yielded a positive result as many people who do not reside in Dodra-Kwar have cancelled their slots for May 27, so that locals can get vaccinated on priority. “Since the appeal, I had received several messages on my phone from people who are not residents of Dodra-Kwar for cancellation of their slots. This is very encouraging as we will be able to vaccinate locals at a faster pace. Our priority is to get people vaccinated in this region as early as possible. The road connectivity to this remote remains cut-off for months once there is snowfall in the higher reaches,” Mr. Sharma told The Hindu over phone.