Malerkotla:
Punjab Chief Minister announced the creation of a new district of Malerkotla, carving the state’s only Muslim-majority town from Sangrur district.
- Malerkotla will be the 23rd district of the State.
- Adjoining Amargarh and Ahmedgarh will also form part of the Malerkotla district.
- Initially, the sub-divisions of Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh, as well as the sub-tehsil of Amargarh, would be included in the newly created district.
- The process of bringing villages under the jurisdiction of the Malerkotla district would begin later, after the conclusion of census operations.
- Tracing the town’s history, the chief minister said it 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 reorganization of states in 1956, the territory of the erstwhile State of Malerkotla became part of Punjab.
