Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government today effected a major reshuffle in the senior IPS cadre by changing the portfolio of at least 19 officers, according to a notification issued by the home department.

BK Sharma, a 1986 batch IPS officer, currently serving as DG (Prisons) has been transferred and posted as new DG (Fire Services & Commandant General, Home Guards & Director Civil Defence).

Sharma succeeds Binay Kumar Behera who retires today.

Additional DG (Law and Order) Binyanand Jha will replace Sharma as the new chief of Odisha prisons

Santosh Kumar Upadhaya has been appointed as Additional DGP, CID, Crime Branch. The post was lying vacant since Sharma's transfer to prisons directorate on August 30. Upadhaya was earlier heading Odisha police housing and welfare corporation (OPH&WC).

Satyajit Mohanty, a 1988 batch IPS officer, who is posted as the additional director general of police Headquarters, has been given the responsibility of additional DGP, Law and Order.

Debasis Panigrahi has been appointed as the new Director of vigilance, the post was lying vacant following the transfer and elevation of RP Sharma as the DGP of Odisha on August 30.

Arun Kumar Ray, 1989 batch officer, has been posted as additional DGP, Communication.

Lalit Das, who had been serving as special secretary of state home department, has been appointed as the new chairman and managing director of OPH&WC. Santosh Bala, who was inspector general (fire service and home guards), will replace Das as home department's special secretary.

Rajesh Kumar, who was Director of State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), has been appointed as Inspector General (fire service and home guards). Sudhanshu Sarangi has been made Director of SCRB.

Sanjay Kumar Kaushal has been appointed as Deputy Inspector General of Vigilance while Sarah Sharma has been appointed as SP in Biju Patnaik State Police Academy (BPSPA).

According to the notification, Amitabh Thakur, a 1992 batch IPS officer, has been posted as new Inspector General (law and order), Arun Bothra Inspector General (modernisation), Asheet Panigrahi Inspector General (headquarters) and Nikhil Kanodia is was given the charge of  Deputy Inspector General of State Crime Branch.

Pranabindu Acharya has been appointed as the ADG (railway and coastal security). This is the first time the government created the post to look after coastal security in the state.