Bhubaneswar: The Government of Odisha has issued a major reshuffle affecting several Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers, with changes impacting a wide range of forest divisions and administrative positions across the state. The move includes key inter-divisional transfers, a cadre change, and new assignments for officers returning from central deputation.
The notification issued by the Forest, Environment and Climate Change (FE&CC) Department reflects a strategy aimed at refreshing leadership in critical areas of wildlife management, afforestation, and conservation operations.
Highlights from the Reshuffle
Senior-Level Postings–
K.S. Pradeep, IFS (2011 RR) returns from Central Deputation and has been appointed Director Environment-cum-Special Secretary, FE&CC Department.
Poornima P, IFS (2014 RR) has been moved from DFO, Khordha Division to Conservator of Forests (Afforestation) in the PCCF & HoFF Office, Odisha.
Divisional Transfers
Wildlife and Territorial Shifts–
- Khushwant Singh, IFS (2014): DFO Balasore (WL) → DFO Sundergarh (T)
- Mirase P. Devidas, IFS (2015): DFO Sundergarh (T) → DFO Bolangir (KL)
Mid-level Reassignments–
- Vivek Kumar, IFS (2016): DFO Puri (WL) → Deputy CF, Office of PCCF (WL)
- Magar Dhanaji Raoso, IFS (2016): DFO Deogarh → DFO Puri (WL)
2017 Batch Realignments–
- Lade Gajanan Dayanand: Joint Task Force → DFO Khordha
- Sai Kiran D.N: Deputy Director, Similipal North (WL) → DFO Malkangiri (T)
- Pratap Kotapalli: DFO Malkangiri (T) → DFO Phulbani (T)
2019 Batch Rotations–
- Prashant Patel: DFO Phulbani (T) → Deputy Director, Similipal North (WL)
- Vipasha Parul, on cadre transfer from West Bengal to Odisha, has been appointed DFO, Ghumsar (South).
Strategic Implications of the Transfers
These changes come amid renewed emphasis on climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and forest resource management. By assigning dynamic and experienced officers to fresh postings, the state government aims to boost field-level implementation of conservation programs, improve forest governance, and enhance inter-departmental coordination.
Notably, Vipasha Parul’s cadre transfer from West Bengal reflects Odisha’s efforts to attract capable officers into its forest management system, especially in sensitive zones like Ghumsar South, known for its rich wildlife and biodiversity corridors.
