14 IAS Officers Reshuffled Ahead of Assam Assembly Polls; Swapneel Paul Appointed Kamrup (Metro) DC

Ahead of the Assam Assembly elections scheduled for early 2026, the state government on Wednesday carried out a major administrative reshuffle, transferring and reposting 14 IAS and state civil service officers with immediate effect.
According to an official notification issued by the Personnel Department, Swapneel Paul, who was serving as District Commissioner (DC) of Tinsukia, has been appointed the new DC of Kamrup (Metropolitan). He replaces Sumit Sattawan, who has now been transferred as the DC of Tinsukia.
In another key move, Aranyak Saikia, earlier serving as Staff Officer to the Chief Secretary, has been posted as the DC of Karbi Anglong, while Nirala Phangshopi, the outgoing DC of Karbi Anglong, has been appointed Additional Secretary in the Hill Areas Department.
The government has also effected a series of district-level swaps. Aayush Garg and Mridul Yadav have exchanged their postings as DCs of Sivasagar and Cachar, respectively. Similarly, Dibakar Nath and Nabadeep Pathak have been interchanged between Dhubri and Bongaigaon districts.
Masanda Magdalin Pertin, who was serving as DC of Kokrajhar and Director of Training at the Assam Administrative Staff College, has been shifted as Joint Secretary in the Finance Department. Pankaj Chakravarty, formerly DC of Tamulpur, has been appointed the new DC of Kokrajhar.
Simi Karan, who was holding Joint Secretary posts in the Environment and Forest Department and the Housing and Urban Affairs Department, has been posted as DC of Tamulpur.
Among other appointments, Pubali Gohain has been named DC of Darrang, while Parag Kumar Kakaty has been posted as the DC of Golaghat. Pulak Mahanta, who was serving as Golaghat DC, has been transferred and appointed Inspector General of Prisons.
Officials said the reshuffle is aimed at strengthening district administration and ensuring smooth governance in the run-up to the Assembly elections. Such transfers are customary ahead of polls to enhance administrative efficiency and maintain neutrality during the election process.