Guwahati/Agartala, Dec 1 (IANS) After West Bengal, the Raj Bhavans in Assam and Tripura were renamed as ‘Lok Bhavan’ from Monday, officials said.

However, the Raj Bhavans in the remaining Northeastern states are yet to adopt the new name for the Governors’ official residences.

A post on the Assam ‘Lok Bhavan’ X handle said that in pursuance of the suggestion of the Governors’ conference held in 2024 and the consequent communique from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on November 25, wherein it has been requested to rename the offices of the Governors of states as ‘Lok Bhavan’ instead of ‘Raj Bhavan’.

“… it has been decided that the office of the Governor shall be referred to as ‘Lok Bhavan’ and the office of the Lieutenant Governor as ‘Lok Niwas’. Raj Bhavan Assam is renamed and shall henceforth be referred to as Lok Bhavan, Assam,” the post said.

Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu had said that the decision to rename the Raj Bhavan to ‘Lok Bhavan’ has been taken as a mark of respect to democracy.

The Governor further said that common citizens will be allowed to enter ‘Lok Bhavan’ during designated hours.

“With the name Raj Bhavan, there was an impression that it belonged to a royal dynasty or a king. Now that democracy prevails and governments are elected through a democratic system, that’s why Raj Bhavan has been renamed Lok Bhavan,” said the Governor.

An official said that from now on, the Raj Bhavan holdings in Tripura’s capital Agartala shall be named Lok Bhavan for all purposes.

“The official letterheads and all other papers relating to the Governor’s house will also have ‘Lok Bhavan’ instead of ‘Raj Bhavan’,” the official said, adding that the name plates and all signage on the gates and everywhere, the website and social media will also be changed accordingly.

The name of the Raj Bhavan in West Bengal was changed on Saturday (November 29). Raj Bhavan, the Governor’s House, will now be known as Lok Bhavan.

The historic mansion Pushpabanta (or Pushpavanta) Palace, also known as Kunjaban Palace, which served as the Raj Bhavan until 2018, was built in 1917 by the then Tripura king Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya Debbarma Bahadur.

Later, the Governor’s house was shifted to the Capital Complex area on the outskirts of the city. The Tripura government, earlier this year, signed a lease agreement with a private company to make the 108-year-old Pushpabanta Palace in Agartala a 5-star hotel.

Various organisations, including the frontal wings of the ruling BJP’s ally Tipra Motha Party, staged a series of protests opposing the Tripura government’s move to privatise the iconic Pushpabanta Palace and convert it into a five-star hotel by a private group.

–IANS

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