Guwahati: Senior Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) officer Lakshmeswar Saikia has assumed charge as the Principal Chief Operations Manager (PCOM) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
The Assam Rail Passengers’ Association has congratulated Saikia on his appointment, expressing hope that his experience and familiarity with Assam’s geographical terrain and railway network will help address long-standing passenger grievances and improve railway services across the region.
Saikia hails from Titabor in Upper Assam’s Jorhat district. He joined the Indian Railway Service after qualifying in the 1993 Civil Services Examination. A Higher Administrative Grade (HAG) officer, he has held several important positions in the Railways and various central and state government departments.
Before taking up his new assignment, Saikia served as the Principal Chief Operations Manager of Kolkata Metro. He also held several senior positions in the Operations and Commercial departments of Northeast Frontier Railway.
During a seven-year deputation, he served as Director in the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, General Manager of the Food Corporation of India (Assam Region), and Chief Regional Manager of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).
Saikia also had a brief stint in the Assam Civil Service after qualifying in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) examination.
An agriculture graduate, he holds an MBA in Project and Leadership Management. He has also undergone professional training at several premier institutions in India and abroad.
Welcoming his appointment, Assam Rail Passengers’ Association General Secretary Dipankar Sharma said the elevation of an Assamese officer to such a key position in Northeast Frontier Railway was a matter of pride for the state.
Sharma expressed hope that Saikia’s familiarity with Assam’s geographical terrain and long-standing passenger concerns would bring renewed attention to pending issues affecting railway services across the region.
He also said Saikia had qualified for the position earlier but was subsequently posted as the Principal Chief Operations Manager of Kolkata Metro, where he demonstrated his administrative capabilities.
After returning to Maligaon around a year ago, Saikia has now assumed charge of the key operational position. The appointment gives him direct responsibility for overseeing railway operations across the Northeast Frontier Railway network.
The association expressed hope that his appointment would lead to improved operational management and better passenger services across the region.