Death of former Deputy Minister P R Ratnayaka

P A Meegahamulahena, Aranayaka Special Corr.

A former Member of Parliament and a Deputy Minister of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike during the period between 1970 to 1977, P R Ratnayaka passed away on January 5 at his ancestral home in Kumbalgama, Mawanella after a brief illness. He was 87.

P R Ratnayaka came into politics contesting the Mawanella Seat at the 1960 Parliamentary General elections through the Sri Lanka Freedom Party.

During his tenure of public service he functioned as chairman of the Aranayaka Village Council in 1951 and chairman of the Kegalle District Development Council in 1970.

P R Ratnayaka was one of the pioneer members of the SLFP when S W R D Bandaranaike formed the party in the 1950s. P R Ratnayaka is a father of six and a nephew of Devapriya Walisingha, President of the Sri Lanka Mahabodhi Foundation affiliated to the Mahabodhi Foundation in India.

The remains of P R Ratnayaka will be taken to the Mawanella Pradeshiya Sabha on January 9 for the public to pay their last respects.

The cremation takes place at the Mawanella Public Grounds on January 9 at 5 pm.