Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake Name C. de Succeeded by Dudley Senanayake Profession Civil servant | Died October 9, 1972 Preceded by N. M. Perera Role Politician | |
Preceded by Felix Dias Bandaranaike Born 16 April 1912 ( 1912-04-16 ) Alma mater Dharmasoka College
St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia
Ceylon University College Education Dharmasoka College, Ceylon University College | ||
Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike Political party Sri Lanka Freedom Party | ||
Charles Percival de Silva (April 16, 1912 – October 9, 1972) was a leading Sri Lankan politician and civil servant. He was a Minister of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture, and Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party, and a senior member of the United National Party
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Early life and education
Born Randombe in Balapitiya to C. R. de Silva, a lawyer and Adlin de Silva who was a founder of Musaeus College. He had three brothers and two sisters.
He was educated at Dharmasoka College, Ambalangoda and St Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia where he won the Gregory Scholarship and the Miller Award. Thereafter he attend the Ceylon University College where he gained a BSc Special Degree in Mathematics (first Class) from the University of London.
Civil service
In 1935, he entered the Ceylon Civil Service as one of the youngest to gain admissions. He was first appointed as a Cadet in the Jaffna Kachcheri. Thereafter he served as an Assistant Government Agent in Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Kalutara. Thereafter he was posted as Assistant Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, D. S. Senanayake. In 1945 he was an Assistant Land Commissioner and in 1949 he was promoted to the post of Director of Land Development, when Minister of Agriculture was Dudley Senanayake.
Political career
After retiring from the civil service, he contest in the general elections in 1952 and was elected to parliament from Minneriya. He was re-elected in 1956 and was appointed as Minister of Lands, Land Development and Agriculture in the cabinet of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike. He became seriously ill at a cabinet meeting in August 25, 1959 and was flown to the United Kingdom for treatment. During his absence Bandaranaike was assassinated on September 26, 1959 and Wijeyananda Dahanayake took over as Prime Minister. De Silva return to the island and was appointed an interim minister only to be removed shortly. He was appointed by Sirimavo Bandaranaike as Minister of Power and Irrigation in 1960. In 1964, he crossed over to the United National Party (UNP). The government of Sirimavo Bandaranaike lost the throne speech and the UNP won the general elections in 1965, after which de Silva was appointed Minister of Lands, Irrigation and Power. He was a member of parliament for 17 years.
C. P. de Silva died on October 9, 1972.