The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday appointed Brij Raj Sharma as the new chief secretary, ending the administrative inertia that hit the state after Muhammad Iqbal Khandey chose to seek voluntary retirement (VRS) three months prior to his superannuation.Sharma, a 1984 batch IAS officer, would remain the chief secretary till 2020.The cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, chose Sharma as the top bureaucrat of the state superseding four of his seniors - Arun Kumar, Sonali Kumar, Ashok Angurana and Khursheed Ahmad Ganai.Khandey had sought VRS three months before his Nov 30 superannuation date following differences with his political bosses.The cabinet also approved Khandey's request for VRS.