CPWD invites bids from agencies to collect jamun from trees at Kartavya Path in Delhi

New Delhi: People visiting Kartavya Path will no longer be allowed to pluck jamun from trees after the CPWD issued a notice inviting bids from agencies to collect the fruit.

An official said the move will boost revenues and stop the practice of throwing stones at the fruits, preventing injuries to visitors.

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD), under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has invited bids for an open auction that will see the successful bidder collect the fruits from the site till August 31.

The auction will begin with a reserve price of Rs 1.30 lakh.

In its auction notice, the CPWD has stated that jamun should be collected safely without any harm to tree trunks.

"No rope, jhula or swing etc will be allowed to collect the fruits," the notice read.

"The materials will be disposed of after fruiting till the end of August, 2023, and the same is not subject to any dispute regarding its quality and quantity," it added.

The trees are located at both sides of Kartavya Path and C Hexagon Road. The Kartavya Path, which extends from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate, is one of the most visited tourist places in the national capital.

There are several jamun trees on both sides of Kartavya Path, with some being nearly 100 years old.

The Central Vista Avenue, stretching from the Vijay Chowk to the India Gate, was recently revamped under the government's ambitious Central Vista redevelopment plan.