After a long silence, the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry has approved a mini power generation project designed after Khoy's innovation. The project, if proved successful, will be replicated in the three hills districts.

Khoy, who could not read ot write, surprised his neighbours and drew public attention in 2001 by generating power by using water flow of a hill canal in his native Monzai Para in Bandarban Sadar upazila.

He made the canal water fall on a wooden turbine to produce 5 kilowatt electricity daily. It was a momentous event for Khoy and his neighbours as their houses were lighted with electricity at least for some hours at night.

After that he submitted a proposal to the authorities and moved from door to door, but to no effect.

However, Khoy's dream came true after about four and a half years. The CHT Affairs Ministry at a meeting in Dhaka on July 30 approved a proposal by the LGED Ministry to build a mini power generation plant designed after his innovation, according to sources here yesterday.

Deputy Minister for CHT Affairs Mini Swapan Dewan was present at the meeting chaired by Secretary of the ministry Md. Shajahan Majumder.

The project will involve Tk 1.60 crore. It was submitted to the ministry by LGED (Local Government and Engineering Department) on July 10 this year.

"This is a great achievement for a person like me.

"The nation will be benefited tremendously if innovations done in remote areas are recognised and properly evaluated in time" he added.

The project will be implemented by the LGED and the work will begin later this month or early next month, LGED Assistant Engineer in Bandarban Kew Hla Khoy told this correspondent.

The project is being implemented at the initiative of Moni Swapan Dewan, he said.

The generation unit will be installed at Thang Khung Chhora' (stream), one and a half kilometres from the spot where Aung Thui Khoy had produced electricity. More people will be benefited if the unit is set up there, the LGED engineer said.

It will produce 20 kilowatt electricity by harnessing the stream water and three hundred families in three indigenous villages will come under electricity supply network.

Power will be supplied for 24 hours a day from June to September, five to six hours from October to January and three to four hours daily from February to May, the LGED engineer said.

This is a pilot project. If successful, it will replicated in remote Thanchi and Ruma upazilas in Bandarban district, he said.

This will open a new horizon in the Chittagong Hilll Tracts, Kew Hla Khoy hoped.