New Delhi/Srinagar, June 30 (IANS): Ashok Jaitley, a renowned civil servant and former chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, died in New Delhi on Tuesday after suffering from a protracted illness.

Popular among friends and relatives as Tony, Jaitley joined the IAS (Indian Administrative Service) in 1964 and was assigned the Jammu and Kashmir cadre.

He served in various capacities and was the youngest IAS officer to rise the level of a secretary among his batchmates.

Jaitley served as the chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir from 1996 to 2002.

He retired from service in 2002 and served as advisor to the state government for six months.

Jaitley was the second-longest serving chief secretary of the state after Peerzada Ghulam Ahmad, who was chief secretary from 1953 to 1963.

Besides an illustrious career in the civil service, Jaitley was a prolific reader and a socialite.

He wrote articles for many newspapers and magazines after retirement.

He also wrote some opinion-based articles for IANS.

Jaitley, according to a friend, was writing a book on Kashmir that might have been interrupted by his illness and subsequent death.

Family sources said the cremation will take place on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Lodhi Road in New Delhi.