The Government of Odisha has appointed Dr. K. Murugesan, IFS (RR-1994) as the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF), Odisha, placing the senior Indian Forest Service officer at the helm of the state’s forest administration. The appointment was made in pursuance of Note-2 of Rule 3(2) of the IFS (Pay) Rules, 2016, placing him in the Apex Scale, Level-17 of the Pay Matrix, the highest level in the Indian Forest Service cadre. The Odisha Forest Department currently lists Dr. Murugesan as PCCF & HoFF, with his posting effective from 31 January 2026.
The notification was issued by the General Administration & Public Grievances Department, Government of Odisha, with Additional Secretary Debasis Singh signing the order by direction of the Governor. Murugesan took charge following the retirement of Suresh Pant, IFS, from the post.
A 1994-batch Odisha-cadre IFS officer, Murugesan brings more than three decades of experience across forestry, environmental regulation, conservation, climate policy and forest administration. Government records identify him as OR-121, born on 15 July 1968, with qualifications including B.Sc., M.Sc. and Ph.D.
His academic background includes a Ph.D. in Entomology, with specialisation in insecticide toxicology, providing a scientific foundation to his career in environmental and forest administration.
Over the years, Murugesan has held several important assignments. He served as Conservator of Forests at the Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bengaluru, under the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. In Odisha, he served as Director, Environment and Special Secretary in the Forest & Environment Department and later as Member Secretary of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB). He has also served as the Chief Executive of the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC), Bhubaneswar.
His association with the Centre for Environmental Studies (CES), Odisha, further reflects his involvement in environmental education and public awareness. During his tenure as Director, CES worked on environmental education, Eco-Clubs, wetland conservation, plastic-pollution awareness, nature camps and capacity-building programmes. CES activities in 2025, for instance, engaged schools, students and communities in wetland conservation and environmental-awareness initiatives.
Prior to his elevation, Murugesan also handled the crucial forest-diversion and nodal responsibilities under the Forest Conservation Act, dealing with proposals involving forest-land diversion for development and infrastructure projects.
He was also associated with the Odisha Forestry Sector Development Project (OFSDP) as Project Director. Under his leadership role in planning the proposed third phase, the department considered greater use of digital technology, agroforestry, large-scale wood cultivation and wood certification for environmentally responsible forestry. The second phase has been associated with sustainable forest management and livelihood security in more than 1,200 forest-fringe villages.
As PCCF & HoFF, Murugesan now oversees Odisha’s forest administration, including forest conservation, afforestation, wildlife protection, biodiversity management, forest-fire preparedness, ecological restoration and climate-related initiatives.
One of the immediate priorities during his tenure has been strengthening forest-fire preparedness. For the 2026 fire season, the department reported 20,461 km of fire lines, 334 fire-protection squads, 5,000 leaf blowers and 1,751 safety kits, alongside training and awareness programmes in forest-fringe communities. The department has also deployed drones, AI-integrated cameras and AI towers in Similipal Tiger Reserve and other protected areas.
With his combination of scientific training, environmental-regulatory experience, forest administration and project leadership, Dr. K. Murugesan assumes charge at a time when Odisha’s forest sector is increasingly focused on conservation, technology-driven monitoring, climate resilience and sustainable management of its natural resources.
