He was Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam from November 1996 to July 1998. Born in 1936, he joined the IAS in 1960. He is the first Assamese IAS officer to have been directly recruited through Open Competitive Examination in the General Category. He was transferred and posted as Advisor Planning Commission Government of India Delhi, where he was subsequently promoted to the rank of Secretary to Govt. of India. Shri Saikia is the first Assamese IAS officer to have secured the rank of a Secretary to the Government of India. Post retirement, he was Chairman Board of Governors IIT Guwahati and Director Reserve Bank of India.