Koraput: Five months have passed since the foundation stone of the ground to celebrate Parab tribal fair was laid, yet no work has began on the site till now.

Parab is an event on tribal art and culture celebrated since 1996 in the district.

Twenty-five acres selected by the district administration at the district headquarters town of Koraput have landed into controversy as forest department claimed ownership over the land and has objected to any type of construction work on the site.

Each year, in December, Parab, the three-day cultural event, is celebrated at the stadium ground.

However, last year, as the state sports department raised objection over the celebrations at the stadium ground. The district administration had identified a patch of 25 acres for the construction of a permanent ground for the tribal fair.

State tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda had laid the foundation stone in December 2017 and the administration had prepared a budget of more than Rs 4 crore for it. In the first instalment, the tourism department had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for the construction of Parab ground.

An official said a detail project report had been prepared for the ground which includes a 10,000 capacity open air theatre, space to accommodate around 700 kiosks, path ways, development of landscape and plantations and around 70 permanent kiosks among others.

"Before the work could be started, the forest department raised objection claiming that the land belongs to them and no construction work could be done on the site," said Koraput district tourism officer Jagannath Lima.

At present, the funds are lying with the Odisha Tourism Development Corporation

The administration has decided to approach the board of revenue to ascertain the original owner of the land and based on its decision, necessary steps will be taken.

"The administration should have cross-checked about the original owner of the land before selecting it," said a Koraput based activist.