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Hon.
Palitha Thewarapperuma
MP
Member of Parliament
for Kalutara District
In office
2010–2020
Deputy Minister Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs
In office
6 April 2016 – 1 May 2018
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Deputy Minister of Wildlife
In office
1 May 2018 – 19 November 2019
PresidentMaithripala Sirisena
Prime MinisterRanil Wickremesinghe
Personal details
Born (1960-05-03) 3 May 1960 (age 63)
NationalitySri Lankan
Political partyUnited National Party
ResidenceMathugama
OccupationPolitician

Palitha Kumara Thewarapperuma (born 3 May 1960) is a Sri Lankan politician, a former member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. He belongs to the United National Party .[1][2] He was given the position of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs in the United National Party led national government in 2015.

Controversies and Incidents

Was suspended from parliament for a week in 2016 for a brawl.[3][4] Was part of the brawl on 15 Nov 2018, and had a blunt knife in hand which he appeared to want to use but held back by fellow UNP MPs.[5][6]

In July 2016, Palitha Theewarapperuma went on hunger strike demanding authorities to admit 9 children in to a public school. During the events he attempted suicide by hanging himself. However he was admitted to the hospital and underwent a bypass surgery. Following the incident the students were admitted to grade 1 of the school.[7][8][9][10]

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic he on several occasions he distributed food supplies to the people of the village Atalugama, which was under lock down due to COVID infections.[11]

Social Services and Public Image

Palitha Thewarapperuma has been popular amongst the local masses for his social service activities and philanthropy. He rose to fame among people of the entire island especially during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka for having provided food, dry rations and other necessities to the rural population of constituency the Kalutara Electoral District.[12]

Family

His son died of a sudden illness in August 2015.[13]

References

  1. ^ "PALITHA THEWARAPPERUMA". Directory of Members. Parliament of Sri Lanka. Archived from the original on 20 October 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Parliamentary Elections -2010" (PDF). Department of Elections, Sri Lanka. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Parliament fracas : Palitha, Prasanna suspended for one week".
  4. ^ Ada Derana (2016-05-05), Thewarapperuma and Ranaweera suspended from Parliament for a week, retrieved 2019-04-24
  5. ^ "P'ment brawl report presented to House | Daily FT".
  6. ^ Bejiya (2018-11-15), Palitha thewarapperuma parliament knife case, retrieved 2019-04-24
  7. ^ Corr, Lahiru Fernando and Agalawatte Group. "School admission drama: Thewarapperuma IN suicide bid". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  8. ^ "Deputy Min. Thewarapperuma walks into Kalutara school with 'rejected' child". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 2016-05-09. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  9. ^ "Palitha Thewarapperuma Fiasco: Children Get A New School". Hiru News. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  10. ^ "Thewarapperuma fiasco: children get a new school". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  11. ^ "Notes On Covid-19: Politics Reshaped". Colombo Telegraph. 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  12. ^ "Notes On Covid-19: Politics Reshaped". Colombo Telegraph. 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
  13. ^ "MP Thewarapperuma in tears at son's death - Photos - Hiru Gossip English Edition". gossip.hirufm.lk. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
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