Touts tampering with slots to deny Thane locals shots: BJP

THANE: Activists and BJP leaders have alleged the possibility of mischief in the online Covid vaccination slot registration system and have demanded a probe by the cyber cell following complaints from Thane residents about failure to land slots.
Manohar Dumbre, BJP group leader in the Thane corporation, complained that locals were unable to secure registration on Co-Win while those from neighbouring cities like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and even Panvel were easily getting slots at Thane vaccination centres. “The slots are getting booked within a jiffy and Thane residents are often left out of the process. I suspect there could be some malware or involvement of touts indulging in group bookings. I have requested the administration to investigate. The common man should not be denied the opportunity of getting vaccinated,” Dumbre told journalists.
An exasperated resident said he has been unable to book a slot for his parent for days as every time he tried vaccination sessions would show as booked. Another resident, Yogita R, had a similar story to narrate. Cyber expert Unmesh Joshi said, “We feel there could be a possibility of some manipulation in the system or the coding needs to be looked into immediately.”
Mayor Naresh Mhaske said the administration has streamlined the vaccination process. “The app is not controlled by the corporation and the state government has also highlighted and sought central intervention. We have announced slot opening times so that there is greater transparency in the process,” he said.