Rural wages in West Bengal set to take a hit as migrant workers return home

Many fear they will run out of money soon, as they are seen as a burden on the rural economy; most are ostracised due to social distancing

At Gobardhanpur, one of the last of West Bengal's villages falling in the deltaic Sundarban region, there is a deep fear of Coronavirus outbreak among locals. In just two days, March 19 and 20 , and before interstate train services were suspended on March 21, hundreds of migrant workers arrived in the area mostly from southern states, say locals.

“Two days prior to lockdown, close to 100 people came to two villages here. The villagers