'Bir Billing to be developed as world class paragliding site'

The picturesque Bir Billing would be developed into a world class paragliding venue and an 18-hole golf course would also be developed in the area, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today.
Presiding over the closing ceremony of the week-long Paragliding World Cup Championship organised by Bir Billing Paragliding Association (BPA)andAirport Authority of India (AAI) at Bir Billing near Palampur in Kangra, the Chief Minister said Bir Billing was one of the world's best paragliding site and expressed hope thatmore pilots would participate in this event in future.
He said that more facilities would be provided to the paragliders in future and an 18-hole golf course project has been sanctioned and the course would come up soon.

He also welcomed the foreign paragliders and also announced renaming of Chogan Kyor road in Bir as Pandit Sant Ram Marg.
The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the National Institute of Paragliding at Bir to be constructed at a cost of Rs 9 crore.
The Institute would be first of its kind in the country in the public sector.

As many as 129 pilots from 31 countries including eight Indians participated in thisyear's event.
However, the pilots could not take flights on four days due to bad weather and strong winds.
Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma, who is also the chairman of BPA, detailed the activities during the week-long World Cup paragliding event.