UNF minister Atukorale dead

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 January 2002, 12:26 GMT]
A senior minister in the newly formed United National Front (UNF) government Mr.Gamini Atukorale (50) passed away Tuesday early morning at his residence, party sources said. Inmates found him unconscious in bed about four in the morning. Immediately medical officer was summoned. Medical sources said he succumbed to death due to massive heart attack.

Mr.Gamini Atukorale entered politics in 1973. He was appointed first as the Deputy Minister for Youth Affairs in the J.R.Jayawardene government in 1977. The present Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe was then the Minister of Youth Affairs.

Under the UNP government led by President R.Premadasa he was appointed Minister for Mahaveli Development. After the defeat of the UNP government in 1994 general election, he worked hard to rebuild the party.

He was later appointed General Secretary of the party and then its deputy leader.

He won the December 5 general election in the Ratnapura district. Thereafter he was a made a cabinet minister for Transport, Highways and Aviation under the present UNF government.

His funeral is to take place on Saturday at Kahawatte, Ratnapura.