It’s official: Historic Malerkotla town is Punjab’s 23rd district
CM ALSO LAID THE FOUNDATION OF PROJECTS WORTH ₹548 CRORE IN THE NEW DISTRICT DURING A VIRTUAL CEREMONY
SANGRUR: Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh inaugurated Malerkotla as the state’s 23rd district and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth ₹548 crore in the historic town during a virtual ceremony on Monday.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Sunil Jakhar, revenue and rehabilitation minister Gurpreet Singh Kangar, Malerkotla MLA and water supply and sanitation and transport minister Razia Sultana and Punjab Youth Congress president Brinder Singh Dhillon along with local councillors, sarpanches and panches witnessed the event through LED screens installed at nearly 100 locations across the newly formed district.
In his address, the chief minister said with the inauguration of Malerkotla as a district, a longstanding demand of the people of the region has been met and it epitomises its glorious heritage.
The CM said that initially the subdivisions of Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh as well as Amargarh (which is being upgraded from a sub-tehsil) will be included in the district. Temporary offices of 12 departments have been set up at the district level and will be made operational soon, he said, adding that the district administrative complex and subdivisional complex will be constructed at a fast pace, for which ₹20 crore have been allotted.
Also, as many as 192 villages, 62 patwari circles and six kanungo circles will be included in the new district.
Later, the CM digitally laid the foundation stone of Nawab Sher Mohammed Khan Government Medical College at Malerkotla at a cost of ₹500 crore. The first instalment of ₹50 crore has already been sanctioned. He also laid the foundation stone of Government College for Girls (₹12 crore), new bus stand (₹10 crore) and the women’s police station besides announcing a grant of ₹6 crore to ensure urban development under Urban Environment Improvement Programme.
Jakhar said the move will help in all-round development of the region. He urged the CM to explore the potential to develop a few other districts, such as Abohar and Batala, as demanded by the locals.
Local MLA Razia Sultana said that with the formation of Malerkotla district, the pace of development in the area will be accelerated, which started with the inauguration of several projects and the women’s police station. After the virtual programme, she along with deputy commissioner Amrit Kaur Gill and senior superintendent of police Kanwardeep Kaur physically laid the foundation stone of these projects.