Governor’s Official Residence Renamed ‘Lok Bhavan’ in Odisha

In a significant administrative reform, the official residences of the Governor in Puri and Bhubaneswar will no longer be called Raj Bhavan. The buildings have now been officially renamed Lok Bhavan. Governor Haribabu Kambhampati announced the decision, following which the Raj Bhavan Secretariat also issued a formal notification.

Odisha’s Secretariat Was Earlier Renamed Lok Seva Bhavan

This is not the first major name change in the state’s administrative landscape. Earlier, the Naveen Patnaik government renamed the long-established Secretariat as Lok Seva Bhavan to reflect a more citizen-centric governance approach.
Along with this, the road in front of the Secretariat, previously known as Secretariat Marg, was renamed Lok Seva Marg.

As a result, the iconic building that had been referred to as the Secretariat for decades is now officially known as Lok Seva Bhavan.

Similar Changes Introduced by the Union Government

The trend of renaming iconic government places is also visible at the national level under the Narendra Modi government.
One of the major changes was the renaming of Delhi’s historic Rajpath to Kartavya Path, emphasizing national duty over colonial heritage.

Similarly, the Central Secretariat buildings—home to several key ministries—have been reorganized and named under the broader umbrella of Kartavya Bhavan as part of the Central Vista redevelopment.

Prime Minister’s Residence Renamed in 2016

In 2016, another symbolic change was made when the Prime Minister’s official residence, earlier known as 7 Race Course Road, was renamed Lok Kalyan Marg.
The purpose behind the new name was to highlight the government’s commitment to public welfare and service.