Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], November 29 : West Bengal's Raj Bhavan in Kolkata was renamed as "Lok Bhavan" in the presence of Governor CV Ananda Bose, a notification said.
The name was changed after approval from the Centre.
"In pursuance of the communication from The Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India, vide Memo No. 7/10/2025 (Part)-M&G 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," a notification dated November 29 and signed by Governor Bose said.
This Notification comes into force with immediate effect.
Speaking with ANI, Governor Bose said that the move will send a message to the new generation.
"There has been a decision by the Government of India, which has been conveyed through a notification issued by the Home Ministry that all Raj Bhavans will be named Lok Bhavans...Two years back, I requested the President to hand over a symbolic key of the Raj Bhavan to the elected Chief Minister and declare the Raj Bhavan as Jana Raj Bhavan. This idea was discussed in the Governor's Conference"
He also highlighted the need for the Raj Bhavan to be accessible to all and stressed that the spirit behind the move asserts the sovereignty of the people enshrined in the Constitution.
"The Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) also stressed the need for all Raj Bhavans to become accessible to the people...Raj Bhavan is renamed not only for the sake of a name, but it is also the spirit behind it that is important. This asserts the sovereignty of the people, which is enshrined in the Constitution of India. This is also a message to the new generation..."
He also spoke on the reports of the deaths of Booth Level Officers amid the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral rolls currently underway in the State, and put the ball in the government's court.
"SIR is a very important step to ensure free and fair elections. The Supreme Court has also said that the SIR process should be continued. It is not right for democracy to obstruct the SIR process...It is the duty of the government to ensure the security of the Booth Level Officers..."