On November 30, Governor N. Indrasena Reddy told reporters in Agartala that the state’s Governor’s House will change its name to ‘Lok Bhavan’ as of Monday, December 1. He said the rename was approved beforehand and would take effect next week, after the flag‑off ceremony for the Mobile Health Care Unit Project of Sewa International and REC Foundation carried out on the premises.
The decision, according to the Governor, is a tribute to the democratic spirit of the country. He added that ordinary citizens will be allowed to enter the building during specified 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,” the Governor explained.
Officials confirmed that from now on every reference to the Governor’s House in Agartala—official letterheads, documents, signage at the gates, the website and social media—will read ‘Lok Bhavan’ instead of ‘Raj Bhavan’. “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 all name plates and signage on the gates and everywhere, the website and social media will also be changed accordingly.
The renaming has sparked criticism in Kolkata. The ruling Trinamool Congress claimed that the central government made the change without consulting the West Bengal government. Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh asked, “Raj Bhavan is now Lok Bhavan. Keeping in mind the 2026 state Assembly elections, such a move started with West Bengal. The notification to make Raj Bhavan into Lok Bhavan was for the whole country. So why was it done first in West Bengal? Why not in other states? Does that mean the Governor wants to run a parallel administration?”
West Bengal’s own governor, C. V. Ananda Bose, had renamed his official residence earlier this year to shed colonial symbolism. He sent a proposal to President Droupadi Murmu, and after approval from the President’s Secretariat, the name change was formalized in a notice from the Governor’s House on Friday.
The current Governor’s House, known as Pushpabanta (or Pushpavanta) Palace—formerly the royal home of Maharaja Birendra Kishore Manikya Debbarma Bahadur—was built in 1917. Later, the Governor’s office moved to a new complex on the outskirts of Agartala. Earlier that year, the Tripura government signed a lease with a private firm to transform the 108‑year‑old palace into a five‑star hotel, a move that prompted protests from several parties, including the front‑line wing of the BJP ally Tipra Motha Party.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
