BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Saturday appointed 1990-batch IFS officer Suresh Pant as the new principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) and head of forest force (HoFF) in Odisha.
The senior IFS officer was serving as the managing director (MD) of Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) Ltd since 2021. Pant has also served as the regional chief conservator of forests (RCCF), Bhawanipatna Circle and Berhampur Circle, earlier.
He was appointed as the PCCF and HoFF following retirement of 1988-batch IFS officer Debidutta Biswal from the service on Friday. Biswal served in various posts in the state including director of mines, special secretary in the Forest and Environment department and member secretary of Odisha State Pollution Control Board.