Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked all concerned to work with utmost sincerity for implementing the "Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar" (One House One Farm) project to expedite poverty alleviation and reducing income discrepancies between urban and rural people.

The Prime Minister said this in the Advisory Council meeting of the "One House One Farm" Project at her Tejgaon office on Sunday.

Sheikh Hasina, chairperson of the advisory council, said the project, if properly implemented, would play significant role in the socio-economic development of the country within a very short span of time.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, PM's press secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhuri said the meeting reviewed the progress of project and decided for intensive monitoring of the activities taken for implementing the project.

Addressing the meeting, the Prime Minister said the main objective of her government is to strengthen the rural economy and reduce poverty. "The One House One Farm" project has been undertaken with a view to achieve the goal, she said.

She said every house would be turned into a self-reliant unit under the project and the farmers would be able to sell their produces under a cooperative marketing system.

Ekti Bari Ekti Khamar Project, a unique project of the present government, has been launched with a vision to reduce poverty through income generating activities with an initial disbursement by the Government. The income generated by the farmers is reinvested in food production and related activities.

Sheikh Hasina said about 22 lakh beneficiaries of the project, 60 percent women, has built up a deposit of Tk 2000 crore, which is a milestone for the government.

In this process every beneficiary deposited Taka 200 in every month against the government contribution of Taka 200 in the account of each beneficiary.

The Prime Minister said the government has constituted "Palli Sanchaya Bank" for successful implementation of the "One House One Farm" project.

She said the activities of the project have been undertaken in as many as 40,527 villages and gradually it would be expanded in all villages and wards. Process will also continue for marketing of the goods to be produced under the project, she said.

The meeting was told that so far 274 cooperative markets were established in different parts of the countries under the project to facilitate the farmers to sell their products in fair price. Steps have also been taken for creating more cooperative markets under the project.