Subhechcha Ganguly 
Debidutt Biswal, PCCF (Odisha)
Debidutta Biswal has been named as the new Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Head of Forest Force (HoFF). Biswal has been appointed to the post of PCCF and HoFF following the retirement of incumbent PCCF Sisir Kumar Ratho.
As per the notification of the General Administration department, Biswal will serve as the PCCF with effect from the date of his joining to the promotional post. Prior to this appointment, the 1988 batch IFS officer had been serving as Director of Mines since July 2020.
He has also served as the Special Secretary in the Forest and Environment department and member secretary of Odisha State Pollution Control Board.
During his tenure as the Director of Mines, Mr Biswal was instrumental in unleashing reforms in mining led by technology. Under his able stewardship, Odisha Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd. (OMECL) – a wholly owned PSU of Govt of Odisha – signed an agreement on 4th August 2022 with a consortium of MSA, South Africa & IDEPX (India) to optimise the exploration of mineral deposits resulting in an inventory of auctionable blocks of different minerals in the state of Odisha. The exploration work program will ensure the effective use of legacy data from various exploration agencies of the State of Odisha, followed by Airborne and Heliborne Surveys resulting in bringing out potential mineral blocks of the different mineral commodities. The exploration programme will be conducted using the latest technology as per international standards. Mr Biswal has very successfully handled the crucial role. When the revenue generation from almost all sources was squeezed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was the mines directorate which came to the rescue.
The successful auction of several mineral blocks with high premiums has taken the State economy to a new height and the State very smoothly overcame the pandemic situation.
After taking over the mantle of PCCF, Shri Biswal has stressed on establishment of multi-product clusters to support the forest fringe dwellers will be beneficial for the communities and other stakeholders in producing quality natural products in the market. A consortium of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology and Technology Business Incubator (KIIT- TBI) Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar City Knowledge Innovation Cluster (BCKIC), and Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE), Guwahati will support OFSDS in imparting training to the clusters, packaging and branding of the products as well as providing market linkage.
Now, as head of the State Forest Force, Mr.Biswal is having a crucial task to handle. He is going to take over the post when the death of several elephants in Athgarh and other areas has become a boiling issue in the State. Besides, he has to manage the entire forest force of the State.
