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Wide angle

The micro-vision of the lecturers of the Community Polytechnique Cell, Malcla, with the village as the focal centre, is supplemented with their district level concerns. They are especially worried about the mango industry, Malcla's pride and economic backbone.

A K Das and Chaki explained, "We are trying to experiment with intercropping the mango gardens with holood (turmeric) and aadaa (ginger) crops. You see, there are some b4d crop years, and sometimes crops fail for 2 successive Ars. The general tendency is to cut the trees and sell the 9*dens. Intercropping can stop this."

Firstly, evo if the mango crop fails, "the farmers can .still-sell the g1hger and turmeric, which fetch high prices,"4-says Chaki. They can survive for 1 or 2 seasons with bad mango crops. "Besides, it has been found that for some reasons, which we are yet to study, holood and aadaa, when planted in the soil of mangroves, actually help augment both the quantity and quality of mango output," Chaki said.

Naturally, with these achievements, the professors of rural upliftment can proudly claim, "if run properly a CPC can do a lot for the complete development of a district."

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