Bhubaneswar: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle in IAS level, the Odisha government has appointed new Collectors in as many as 20 districts. The reshuffle also includes new appointment for several significant posts.

Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya has been appointed as the Director of the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department. Dr. Upadhyaya will also retain his additional responsibilities as the Director of Odisha Paribar, said a notification issued by the General Administration and Public Grievance Department on Wednesday.

Ashish Thakare, the current Collector and District Magistrate (DM) of Balasore, has been appointed as Secretary of the Board of Revenue, Odisha, Cuttack.

Meanwhile, Dilip Routrai, who previously held the position of Director of the Odia Language, Literature & Culture Department with additional charge of Director, Odisha Paribar, will take over as the Collector and DM of Bhadrak.

In other key appointments, Kamal Lochan Mishra, the Collector and DM of Nabarangpur, has been named Executive Director of the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority, a position now deemed equivalent to the status of Additional Secretary in the IAS Cadre of the state.

Nikhil Pavan Kalyan, currently serving as Collector and DM of Jajpur, has been appointed as Director of Soil Conservation and Watershed Development in Bhubaneswar.

Bijay Kumar Dash, who serves as Commissioner of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation with additional duties as Vice Chairman of the Cuttack Development Authority, will become the Collector and DM of Gajapati.

Smruti Ranjan Pradhan, the present Collector and DM of Gajapati, will move to the position of Collector and DM of Kendrapara.

Further changes include Swadha Dev Singh, the Collector and DM of Nayagarh, who has been appointed as Additional Secretary to the Government in the PR & DW Department.

Parul Patawari, the State Project Director of OSEPA with additional charge as Member Secretary of Mo School, will take over as Collector and DM of Rayagada.

Amrit Ruturaj, the Collector and DM of Dhenkanal, will become the Collector and DM of Kandhamal.

Siddeshwar Baliram Bondar, currently Collector and DM of Bhadrak, will assume the role of Collector and DM of Sambalpur.

Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, the Collector and DM of Mayurbhanj, will take over as the Collector and DM of Cuttack.

Hema Kanta Say, the Collector and DM of Nuapada, will replace Shinde in Mayurbhanj.

P. Anvesha Reddy, the Collector and DM of Kalahandi, will move to the position of Collector and DM of Jajpur.

Ashish Ishwar Patil, currently the Collector and DM of Kandhamal, has been appointed as Collector and DM of Malkangiri.

Somesh Kumar Upadhyay, the Collector and DM of Deogarh, will take over as the Collector and DM of Dhenkanal.

Dr. Subhankar Mohapatra, the Director of Rural Development, has been named the new Collector and DM of Nabarangpur.

Suryawanshi Mayur Vikas, the Collector and DM of Kendrapara, will now serve as the Collector and DM of Balasore.

J Sonal, the Collector and DM of Boudh, will move to Jagatsinghpur.

Pawar Sachin Prakash, the current Collector and DM of Malkangiri, will take over in Kalahandi, while Akshay Sunil Agrawal, the Collector and DM of Sambalpur, will become the Collector and DM of Nayagarh.

Manoj Satyawan Mahajan, the Collector and DM of Rayagada, will move to Sundargarh.

Additional reshuffles include Kabindra Kumar Sahu, OAS (SS) and Executive Director (Land) at Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd., who will now serve as Collector and DM of Deogarh. Madhusudan Dash, OAS (SS) and Special Secretary to the Government in the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department, will take over as Collector and DM of Nuapada. Subrat Kumar Panda, OAS (SS) and Special Secretary to the Government in the Rural Development Department, has been transferred to serve as Collector and DM of Boudh.