ISLAMABAD: City managers on Tuesday approved the re-planning of the Art and Craft Village in Shakarparian and green-lit the Blue Area Pedestrian Street project.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) board, which met in Islamabad under Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa, made several policy decisions according to official sources.

The Art and Craft village was built some two decades ago to showcase the work of artists, folk performers, artisans and burgeoning talent.

Until now, the space has remained unutilised in the picturesque environs of Shakarparian.

The CDA had spent Rs386 million on the said project but the facility was never put to proper use. The village includes shops, an exhibition hall, a design centre, artist studios, student hostels, an amphitheatre, open-air entertainment space, children`s play areas and parks.

It also houses regional food centres, chai khanas and artisan hostels.

CDA sources said that the re-planning initiative aimed to lease out the handicraft shops on a rental model to support local artisans.

It also plans to utilise the tourism and hospitality buildings under CDA to enhance visitor experience and services.

Moreover, auctioned plots will remain with owners, while the remaining plots will be auctioned under the latest plan.

Regarding the arts and crafts workshop area, the initiative aims to dedicate space for artisans to create and showcase traditionalcrafts.

Additionally, sources said the board also approved the proposal to establish a pedestrian street in Blue Area.

Under the other approved project, CDA will transform sections of Blue Area into car-free zones, turning them into pedestrian-only streets and setting upfood outlets.

The civic body will initiate an electric cart service for the public to enable them to navigate the designated area.

The walk-and-shop type pedestrian street would stretch an area of 800 metres from the CDA parking plaza to the Khyber Plaza area.

Meanwhile, a press release issued by CDA stated that the board also directed to hire a consultant for the third-party audit of CDA`s ongoing development projects to ensure transparency.

Similarly, the CDA`s planning wing was directed to take action againstillegalhousing societies and publish their names on the civic agency`s website.

The meeting also decided to establish a Building and Housing Control Agency to address various challenges related to building and housing control besides addressing the problems of people regarding their property matters in the federal capital.

It also green-lit the establishment of a permanent waste dumping site for Islamabad.

During the briefing, the board was told that the Asian Development Bank`s technical expertise would be utilised for the construction of the dumping site.

Chairman CDA said that the dumping site would be developed as a `Waste-to-Energy` project, aligned with future needs.

The statement said that the board approved a three-month extension for Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) to continue waste collection and transportation services.

It was decided that RWMC would collect and transport waste daily from across the city to Islamabad`s waste transfer stations and then to designated dumping sites.