President Mahinda Rajapaksa accused the Tamil National Alliance controlled Northern Provincial Council government of hampering the development of the Northern Province. He also said that the TNA and a section of the Tamil diaspora continue to hold separatist views.

He made these remarks addressing a public rally in Kilinochchi on Sunday to distribute land deeds to 20,000 people in the Northern Province.

The President said that if those who support separatist views stop demanding Eelam, he will consider removing executive presidency.

Rajapaksa said the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) is not cooperating with Government's plans of development for the Province. The NPC is not allowing the government to work and they are not doing work either, the President said.

Furthermore, he said that the government has provided a significant amount of services for the welfare of people in the North. However, the NPC has not used the funds allocated to the Council for the development work in the Province.

The 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 President urged the public 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.

The President also declared open two Mahindodaya technical laboratories in the North at Hindu Maha Vidyalaya, Kilinochchi and Waddakachchi Maha Vidyalaya, Jaffna.

President Rajapaksa is also scheduled to inaugurate the Colombo-Jaffna train service today.