‘Reinforcing people-centric spirit’: West Bengal Governor as Raj Bhavan renamed as ‘Lok Bhavan’

In a notification, the Governor’s office said, “In pursuance of the communication from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) dated 25.11.2025, it is hereby notified that the name of the holdings of ‘Raj Bhavan’ in Kolkata, Flagstaff House and Darjeeling, has hereby been modified and renamed as ‘Lok Bhavan’.”

The change came into force with an immediate effect, it added.

Governor Bose said the decision was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of people’s participation in the country’s development. “In tune with the transformational and inspirational leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that has ensured participation of people across all segments of society in a spectacular march towards Viksit Bharat, Raj Bhavan and Raj Niwas across the country have been uniformly decided to be renamed as Lok Bhavan and Lok Niwas, respectively, as per a notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on 25 November,” he said.

He added that it is not just the name but also all official documents and materials like letterheads, nameplates on gates and websites will also be changed.

To mark the occasion, Governor Bose visited Victoria Memorial, interacted with citizens, and distributed chocolates to children, “reinforcing people-centric spirit behind the renaming” move.

The Governor’s office has initiated several “people-centric programmes” in the past three years, and the renaming is seen as a step towards making the institution more accessible to the people, an official said.

“During the last three years, several constructive people-centric programmes have been initiated. The Jana Raj Bhavan initiative was to play a proactive role in the service of people across the length and breadth of West Bengal. Whenever there was a situation of exigency the Jana Raj Bhavan reached out to those in need,” Bose said.

The Union Home Ministry’s proposal had gained unanimous support from governors across the states, following which the Centre gave a formal approval to the move. In Kolkata, Governor Bose personally oversaw the removal of the old name plaque at Raj Bhavan, symbolising the start of the nationwide transition.

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