Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the four-day Shimla Flying Festival at Junga on Thursday.

The event, being organised by The Glide Inn company and the state tourism department, will conclude on October 15.

Speaking on the occasion, Sukhu said that such events promote adventure tourism and attract global tourists. He added that these festivals provided direct and indirect employment opportunities to the locals.

“It is the first national-level event after the disaster struck the state during the monsoons” the CM said, adding that Himachal was open to welcome the tourists and extend its hospitality.

He pointed out that the Bir Billing area of Kangra district was out of the favourite sites for paragliding and had made its mark globally.

Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation managing director Amit Kashyap said the corporation was taking steps to promote tourism activities in the state.

Arun Rawat, chief executive officer of The Glide Inn company, gave said that 51 paragliders from India and abroad were participating in the event.

‘Govt mulling amending laws to meet new challenges’

Sukhu said that new challenges cannot be met with coded laws and the government was mulling amending laws and by-laws to bring changes in education, health and related sectors.

He said that the state government was taking steps to make Himachal Pradesh self-reliant in the next four years and the most prosperous state of the country in the coming ten years.

We have repeatedly demanded a special relief package from the Union government, while the Bharatiya Janata Party was misleading people for political gains , the CM said.

The third team has come from the Centre to assess the losses that occurred during the disaster and we hope that the Union government will provide special financial assistance to the state soon, Sukhu said.

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