The Sri Lankan cabinet chaired by President Mahinda Rajapaksa for the first time met at Kilinochchi, the former LTTE stronghold in the North on Wednesday.The meeting, first of its kind outside the national capital, is part of an initiative by the Sri Lankan President to hold cabinet meetings in other parts of the island nation.The town of Kilinochchi was long considered to be the de facto capital of the Tamil Tigers. By convening first special cabinet session there, the Sri Lankan President is sending out a political message that the country is now unified under one command.In January 2009, Kilinochchi fell to the advancing forces of the Sri Lankan Army, which in a way marked the beginning of the end of the LTTE saga under Prabhakaran.Later addressing the public officials of the region, the Sri Lankan President said that the time has come for everyone to join in serving the people sans political differences. There must be commitment to rebuild the lives of the people who suffered for thirty years due to terrorism.Some of the Tamil leaders were of the opinion, that holding the cabinet meeting at a time when the war displaced civilians are still being resettled in the area trying to pick up the thread of their lives, such a move may not augur well with the sentiments of the people. Other opposition MPs saw it as a wasteful expenditure. But the government spokesperson Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the government is trying to take a step closer to the people of the area.Meanwhile, Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who had visited the Wanni HQ a day earlier said that military camps in Wanni sector, Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi will stay permanently.Addressing the top brass of the army in the region, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said that there is no need for the army now to be seen with weapons always but all have to be alert to ground realities and should work jointly to promote gathering of intelligence in a better organized manner than ever.The Tamil groups have been raising their voices against the heavy deployment of the army in the region.