ITANAGAR, 19 Feb: The eldest daughter of the first lieutenant governor of Arunachal Pradesh, late KAA Raja, Vijayalakshmi along with her youngest sibling Maragathavalli and other relatives called on Governor BD Mishra and his wife Neelam Misra at the Raj Bhavan here on Saturday.
The family of late Raja has been invited by the state to receive the Arunachal Ratna award conferred posthumously on the late lieutenant governor.
While interacting with the visitors, the governor told them that the foundation stone of the present Raj Bhavan was laid by late Raja, and showed them the well-kept foundation stone plaque.
“Late Raja distinctively and distinguishably contributed in the growth and development of the union territory of Arunachal Pradesh during its nascent stage. Due to his visionary guidance, the state has grown on the strong foundation laid by lieutenant governor Raja, especially in the field of education,” the governor said.
Vijayalaxmi and Maragathavalli recalled their early days in the then Raj Niwas in Naharlagun and their occasional visits to the present Raj Bhavan, then under construction as the seat of the capital of the union territory of Arunachal Pradesh.
Late Raja’s eldest daughter-in-law, Dr Lalitha Raja, eldest grandson Jai Venkatesh, granddaughter-in-law Krishna Priya, and Dr Lalitha Raja’s brother Krishna Kumar were also present on the occasion.
The Arunachal government is conferring Arunachal Ratna, the state’s highest award, posthumously on late Raja for his immense contributions in the socioeconomic and administrative development of the state.
The award will be presented on the occasion of the 36th Statehood Day ceremony. (Raj Bhavan)
