Former minister late Rupa Karunathilake remembered | Daily News

Former minister late Rupa Karunathilake remembered

Former Minister Late Rupa Karunathilake and Southern Provincial Councillor Sanjeewa Karunathilake.
Former Minister Late Rupa Karunathilake and Southern Provincial Councillor Sanjeewa Karunathilake.

A series of community projects will be launched in connection with the sixth commemoration of late Minister Rupa Karunathilake by the Sanjeewa Karunathilake Community Development Foundation.

The projects include Leadership Training and Attitude Promotion Programmes for youth, Beauty Culture Workshops, and Woman Empowering Seminars etc., the organisers said.

Lokugamage Rupasena Karunathilake, known as Rupa Karunathilake was a Cabinet minister and Member of Parliament representing Bentara-Elpitiya electorate, in the Galle District.

He was also the Sri Lanka Ambassador to the Netherlands. Rupa Karunathilake was educated at Ananda Vidyalaya, Elpitiya, Mahinda College, Galle and Nalanda College Colombo.

He was a popular politician of Galle who had won the respect and veneration of the masses of the country.

During his 24 year political career from 1997 to 2001, he held the ministerial portfolios of Galle District Minister, Provincial Council State Minister, Ports and Shipping Minister and Minister of Plantation.

Among his notable services rendered to the people and the country are his visionary initiatives taken for the proclamation of Ancient Galle Fort as a World Heritage Site, renovation of Golden Canopy of the Temple of the Tooth , resourceful efforts in the establishment of Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, Niyagama Affiliated University, Elpitiya Police Training Institute and a number of Village Awakening Housing Schemes including Maitri Gama, Beljiyanu Gama, Subha Gama and Sinharupa Gama .

He was also a pioneering politician in executing several development schemes such as founding of the Galle Heritage Foundation, creation Koggala Free Trade Zone and institution of Galle District Dhamma School Fund and Elpitiya Development Trust Fund.


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