GUWAHATI, April 25 - Special DG (Law and Order) Kuladhar Saikia has been appointed as the new Director General of Assam Police. Saikia will replace incumbent DGP Mukesh Sahay on the latter�s superannuation on April 30, an order issued by the State home department stated today.
A Sahitya Akademi award winner and a prolific short story writer, Saikia, who has so far authored 20 books, had joined the force as SDPO, Tinsukia in the year 1987. Later, Saikia, a 1985-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, served as superintendent of police of Nalbari, Karimganj, Goalpara, Guwahati and Sivasagar. He went on to serve as the DIG (Kokrajhar) and DIG (CID) before being promoted as IGP(TAP) and ADGP(BIEO).
Saikia, who was awarded the President�s Police Medal twice, was appointed as a Special DG (Law and Order) last year.
Born in 1959, Saikia did his matriculation from Rangiya High School after which he completed his graduation and masters from Ramjas College in Delhi and Delhi School of Economics respectively. He also did his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology.
A Fulbright fellow, he also worked as an officer of the Indian Economic Service in the Planning Commission, New Delhi and went on to serve as the Indian Railway Traffic Service officer for a brief stint before joining the police service. He was also associated with the World Bank in the US as a consultant.
The Assam Police community empowerment initiative called �Prahari� is considered as his brain child. Besides, he was also instrumental in forming the nagarik samitis which worked in tandem with the police.
