Bhubaneswar: Senior Indian Forest Service officer Debidutta Biswal has taken over as the new director of mines from Wednesday.

Biswal, a 1988-batch IFS officer of Odisha cadre, took over the charge from Deepak Mohanty on Wednesday. He was posted as the special secretary in forest & environment department before his assignment as director mines.

Deepak Mohanty’s in extended service as director of mines has expired on June 30. Mohanty continued as director mines for a record 8 years.

The government has also posted 1994 batch IFS officer K Murugesan as the secretary, Odisha State Pollution Control Board. Murugesan is the now the director environment.