The government on Wednesday appointed Ajit Kumar Doval as the new director of the Intelligence Bureau in place of K P Singh, who has reportedly sought permission to go on leave.

Singh, a Chattisgarh cadre IPS officer of the 1966 batch, was to retire on August 31.

Official sources said that the Appointment's Committee of the Cabinet has cleared the name of Doval, a Kerala cadre IPS officer of the 1968 batch. He will serve in the post till January 31, 2005.