Guwahati, April 6: Senior additional advocate-general Devjit Saikia has been appointed the interim advocate-general of Assam.

Saikia has been appointed temporarily as advocate-general Chinmoy Choudhury is indisposed and under-going treatment outside the state.

"I am extremely grateful to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal for entrusting me with this huge responsibility. I will leave no stone unturned to give my best service to the state in the field of law," Saikia said after assuming charge today.

"My endeavour will be to see the state government does not lose any legal battle in the high court because of any lapse or inaction on the part of government advocates. I will also try to ensure there will be a concerted effort by the government counsels to represent the state in the best possible manner," he said.

He said there is a large number of pending cases and in most of these cases the state is the litigant. "We will assist the high court in quick disposal of the cases and to achieve better coordination between the state government and the judiciary," Saikia said.

Ceiling collapses

A portion of the ceiling in the second floor of Block B in Janata Bhawan, the state secretariat, here, collapsed around noon today, shocking many employees.

No one was hurt in the incident.