Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh announced the creation of a new district of Malerkotla, carving the state’s Muslim-majority town from Sangrur district.

Adjoining Amargarh and Ahmedgarh will also form part of Punjab’s 23rd district.

The CM also announced a Rs 500-crore medical college, a women’s college, a new bus stand and a women police station in Malerkotla.

The 23rd district

Malerkotla was established in 1454 by Sheikh Sadruddin-i-Jahan from Afghanistan and subsequently the State of Malerkotla was established in 1657 by Bayazid Khan. 

Malerkotla was later merged with other nearby princely states to create the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU).  

During the reorganisation of states in 1956, the territory of the erstwhile State of Malerkotla became part of Punjab. 

Recalling the rich history of Malerkotla, Amarinder Singh said the creation of the new district will ease hardships of people in dealing with administrative problems.

Initially, subdivisions of Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh as well as the sub-tehsil of Amargarh will be included in the district. 

The process of bringing villages under the jurisdiction of Malerkotla district will begin later after the conclusion of the Census operations. 

A government medical college in the name of Sher Mohammed Khan, who had been a Nawab of Malerkotla, will soon be set up and the state government has already allotted 25 acres on the Raikot road for it.  

The first instalment of Rs 50 crore has already been sanctioned. 

To ensure holistic development of Malerkotla, the CM also announced a sum of Rs 6 crore under the Urban Environment Improvement Programme (UEIP). 

To promote the cultural heritage of Malerkotla, the CM said he has written to Aga Khan Foundation to undertake conservation and restoration of the Mubarak Manzil Palace. 

The Punjab government has acquired the 150-year-old palace and its restoration and upkeep will be a befitting tribute to the Nawabs of Malerkotla, he said. 

Some facts on Punjab

The name Punjab is made of two words Punj (five) + Ab (water), meaning land of five rivers. These five rivers are Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab, and Jhelum. Only Sutlej, Ravi and Beas rivers flow in today’s Punjab. The other two rivers are now located in the state of Punjab, situated in Pakistan. 

Agriculture is the mainstay of Punjab’s economy. Other major industries include manufacturing of scientific instruments, electrical goods, financial services, machine tools, textiles, sewing machines, etc.

Punjab is mainly divided into three regions: Malwa, Majha and Doaba.

1) Malwa is a region south of river Sutlej. The Malwa area makes up the majority of the Punjab region consisting of 11 districts. Cities such as Ludhiana, Rupnagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Mansa, Firozpur, Fazilka, Rajpura, Moga and Ajitgarh are located in the Malwa region. Malwa is also famous for cotton farming.

2) Majha is a historical region of the Indian Punjab comprising the modern districts of Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran. It lies between rivers Ravi, Beas and the Sutlej. This region is called the heartland of Punjab and is celebrated as being the ‘Cradle of Sikhism’.

3) Doaba is the region of Indian Punjab between the rivers Beas and Sutlej. The name ‘Doaba’ literally translates to ‘land between two rivers’. It is one of the most fertile regions and was the centre of the Green Revolution in India. The cities in Doaba are Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala.

Chandigarh is a Union Territory and serves as the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana. Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India. Chandigarh was planned by the famous French architect Le Corbusier.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store