President accuses Northern PC of hampering development in the North

Monday, 13 October 2014 00:50 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday accused the Tamil National Alliance controlled Northern Provincial Council government of hampering the development of the Northern Province.

Addressing a public rally in Kilinochchi held to distribute land deeds to 20,000 people in the Northern Province, President Rajapaksa said the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) is not cooperating with Government’s plans of development for the Province. The President said that the government has provided a significant amount of services for the welfare of people in the North and despite concerns raised within the ruling party the government held the elections for the NPC last year to give people in the North a voice.

Therefore, the NPC should now stand firm with the expectations of the people with whose votes they were elected and fulfill their needs, the President said. He said the NPC has not used the funds allocated to the Council for the development work in the Province and noted that the Council has even raised objections to a government proposal to direct water to the Iranamadu tank in the North from the Mahaweli river in the South. “They are not allowing us to do our work and they are not doing work either,” the President said. President said the Chief Minister of the NPC and his administration are is hindering the development work in the North in fear of losing votes from general public. The NPC Chief Minister C. V. Wigneswaran questioning President’s motives has said that Council would not attend the Special District Development meeting to be chaired by President Rajapaksa in Jaffna tomorrow. The Chief Minister said the Council would not attend the meeting or any other “politically motivated meeting” in the Province when the Tamils were continuing to be marginalized, pointing to an “authoritarian regime foisted on the NPC.” The President told the public that he however has faith in them despite placing their faith in the Tamil National Alliance and urged them to send a clear message to the Chief Minister to allow the Government to do what it needs to do to improve the living conditions of the people in the North. During his visit to the region yesterday, the President, in addition to handing over land deeds to over 20,000 families at the Kilinochchi event, also returned the gold, which was in the possession of the terrorist group LTTE during their reign, to its rightful owners. The President also declared open two Mahindodaya technical laboratories in the North today. These laboratories are located at Hindu Maha Vidyalaya in Kilinochchi and Waddakachchi Maha Vidyalaya in Jaffna. At a ceremony held in Kilinochchi the President said his aim is to upgrade education facilities for the children in the entire North and the government has allocated all required facilities for this purpose. He expressed satisfaction for the rapid progress achieved by students in the North during the past five years following the end of the war. President Rajapaksa is also scheduled to inaugurate the Colombo-Jaffna train service today.

President tells diaspora give up Eelam

President Mahinda Rajapaksa says he is ready to change the Executive Presidential system if the pro-LTTE diaspora gives up their demand for an Eelam state. Speaking in Kilinochchi yesterday, the President said that he will not allow the country to be divided and for an Eelam state to be formed. The President noted that some diaspora groups have installed their own self proclaimed prime ministers and cabinet and are attempting to gain recognition for their cause. He said that even opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesighe had talks with those groups. The President urged the public in the North to place their faith in his Government to ensure a better future. (Colombo Gazette)

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