Cuttack, June 5: Former judge of Orissa High Court Justice Bijaya Krushna Patel has been appointed the new president of the State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission.

Justice Patel, who has been appointed for a five-year term, succeeds Justice R.N. Biswal. He was the judge of high court from January 17, 2008 to January 23, 2015.

Born to Ramchandra Patel (an advocate) and Laxmipriya Patel in Sundargarh on January 24, 1953, he had passed his high school certificate examination from Bhawani Shankar High School in Sundargarh. After passing pre-professional (science) examination from Government College in Sundargarh in 1970, he graduated with honours in political science with first division from GM College in 1972. Later, he did pursued masters in political science from Vani Vihar in 1974 and went on to pass LLB from Delhi University in 1978.

After enrolling in State Bar Council as an advocate on September 15, 1979, he practiced in courts at Sundargarh and other places till he was selected for Odisha Senior Judicial Service (Senior Division) in 1993. He was elevated to judge of high court in January 2008.

Prior to that he served as district and sessions judge in Balangir and Puri, member secretary Odisha State Legal Services Authority, registrar (administration) high court, chairman Odisha Sales Tax Tribunal and principal secretary state law department.