P. Dayaratna
Encyclopedia
Petikirige Dayaratna is a Sri Lanka
n politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
. He was elected to Ampara electorate in 1977 as a Member of Parliament
from the United National Party
.
, Colombo
, to complete his secondary education. In the year 1961, he gained admission to Brighton Technical College
, England
where he graduated as an electrical engineer in 1965 and returned home on April 23, 1965. On May 17, 1965 he joined state service as an Assistant Electrical Engineer of Gal Oya Development Board stationed at Ampara
.
In 1965 he was appointed as the electrical engineer of the Department of Government Electrical Undertakings, which, during his tenure of office, became the Ceylon Electricity Board
(CEB).
At the 1970 General Election, Ampara was the citadel of leftist forces and Dayaratne who resigned from government service and contested the Ampara seat, lost to his rival, Somaratne Senarath, a staunch leftist from Ampara
.
While serving as the electrical engineer of CEB in August 1967, Dayaratne was elected as the President of the Mandala Mahaviharaya Buddhist Society of Ampara Town and under the guidance of Ven. Dodamduwe Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera, completed the construction work of the Cetiya within two years.
Dayaratna married Deepthika Dayaratna on June 2, 1971. The couple have three children.
With the blessings of then UNP Leader J. R. Jayewardene
, he contested the Ampara seat at the 1977 General Election
and won with a majority of 8,000 votes recording the first ever victory for the UNP in Ampara electorate.
In October 1978 he became the District Minister for Ampara, in 1981 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Power and Energy and became Minister in 1987. In February 1989 he was given the portfolio of Lands, Irrigation and Mahaweli Development and in April 1991 he was made the Minister of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Social Welfare.
Although the UNP lost power at the General Election in 1994
, Dayaratne was re-elected as a UNP member for Ampara District
. He was re-elected at the subsequent elections held in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2010. He was the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Welfare of under the UNF Government.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n politician and a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka
Parliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...
. He was elected to Ampara electorate in 1977 as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
from the United National Party
United National Party
The United National Party, often referred to as the UNP ), , is a political party in Sri Lanka. It currently is the main opposition party in Sri Lanka and is headed by Ranil Wickremesinghe...
.
Biography
Petikirige Dayaratne was born on October 1, 1936. His parents were Petikirige Wimalasena and Dehipitiyage Leelawathie Gunawardene of Wethera village, Polgasowita. Born in the maternal ancestral home in the hamlet of Godigamuwa in Kalutara District, he received his basic education in the school of his home town Wethara and in 1947 entered Ananda CollegeAnanda College
Ananda College , Colombo which is considered as the leading National school in Sri Lanka, was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, to complete his secondary education. In the year 1961, he gained admission to Brighton Technical College
City College Brighton & Hove
City College Brighton & Hove is a large general further education college in Brighton and Hove. Its main campus is at Pelham Street, Brighton. It was formerly known as Brighton College of Technology and before that Brighton Technical College....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he graduated as an electrical engineer in 1965 and returned home on April 23, 1965. On May 17, 1965 he joined state service as an Assistant Electrical Engineer of Gal Oya Development Board stationed at Ampara
Ampara
Ampara is a remote city on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, about 360 km from the capital city of Colombo. It belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It was a part of the domain of Kavantissa and was then known as "Ambaragama", which over the years changed to Ambara to Ampara...
.
In 1965 he was appointed as the electrical engineer of the Department of Government Electrical Undertakings, which, during his tenure of office, became the Ceylon Electricity Board
Ceylon Electricity Board
The Ceylon Electricity Board , is the largest electricity company in Sri Lanka. With a market share of nearly 100%, it controls all major functions of electricity generation, transmission, distribution and retailing in Sri Lanka. It is one of the only two on-grid electricity companies in the...
(CEB).
At the 1970 General Election, Ampara was the citadel of leftist forces and Dayaratne who resigned from government service and contested the Ampara seat, lost to his rival, Somaratne Senarath, a staunch leftist from Ampara
Ampara
Ampara is a remote city on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, about 360 km from the capital city of Colombo. It belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It was a part of the domain of Kavantissa and was then known as "Ambaragama", which over the years changed to Ambara to Ampara...
.
While serving as the electrical engineer of CEB in August 1967, Dayaratne was elected as the President of the Mandala Mahaviharaya Buddhist Society of Ampara Town and under the guidance of Ven. Dodamduwe Dhammaratana Nayaka Thera, completed the construction work of the Cetiya within two years.
Dayaratna married Deepthika Dayaratna on June 2, 1971. The couple have three children.
With the blessings of then UNP Leader J. R. Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene
Junius Richard Jayewardene , famously abbreviated in Sri Lanka as JR, was the first executive President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1978 till 1989. He was a leader of the nationalist movement in Ceylon who served in a variety of cabinet positions in the decades following independence...
, he contested the Ampara seat at the 1977 General Election
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1977
The 1977 Sri Lankan election heralded the beginning of a new period of Sri Lanka's history - a period of unprecedented violence.-Background:Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike had become extraordinarily unpopular. Her economic policies had led to industrial growth and self-reliance, but was...
and won with a majority of 8,000 votes recording the first ever victory for the UNP in Ampara electorate.
In October 1978 he became the District Minister for Ampara, in 1981 he was appointed Deputy Minister of Power and Energy and became Minister in 1987. In February 1989 he was given the portfolio of Lands, Irrigation and Mahaweli Development and in April 1991 he was made the Minister of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Social Welfare.
Although the UNP lost power at the General Election in 1994
Sri Lankan parliamentary election, 1994
The Sri Lankan parliamentary election of 1994 marked the decisive end of 17 years of UNP rule and a revival of Sri Lankan democracy.-Background:Democracy in Sri Lanka had seemed doomed as the presidencies of J.R...
, Dayaratne was re-elected as a UNP member for Ampara District
Ampara Electoral District
Ampara Electoral District was an electoral district of Sri Lanka between March 1960 and February 1989. The district was named after the town of Ampara in Ampara District, Eastern Province. The 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka introduced the proportional representation electoral system for electing...
. He was re-elected at the subsequent elections held in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2010. He was the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Welfare of under the UNF Government.