Anuruddha no more

Rasika SOMARATHNA, Asela KURULUWANSA and Indika POLKOTUWA

Former Minister of Power and Energy and Deputy Minister of Defence, General Anuruddha Ratwatte passed away yesterday at a hospital in his home town of Kandy. He was 73 at the time of his death.

He was admitted to the Kandy hospital recently and was being treated at the Neurosurgical Unit at the time of his death.

He entered politics as a member of the Kandy Municipal Council and entered Parliament in 1989 for the first time, through the national list of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

He was re-elected to Parliament in 1994 and 2000 from the Kandy district as a member of the UPFA. At the time of his demise, Ratwatte was the national organizer and Pathadumbra electorate organizer of the SLFP.

Before entering politics he also served as an officer of the Sri Lanka Army.

He has three sons Lohan Ratwatte MP, Kandy Mayor Mahen Ratwatte and Chanuka Ratwatte.

His remains lie at the Ratwatte ancestral home in Mahaiyawa, Katugastota. The funeral will be held, Sunday at the family burial grounds at Niththawela.