PANAJI: The Nationalist Congress Party condemned the government’s decision to stop paying electricity bills for illumination equipment installed for churches, temples and mosques.

“They should understand that these religious places are spiritual places which have its light of its own and that it illumines the heart and mind of individuals,” vice president Trajano D’mello said.

The party also questioned why the government was scared of releasing its own analysis about its performance in the state’s governance. The NCP denounced the statement made by defence minister Manohar Parrikar who said that the report card of the BJP government that has been prepared would not be made public. “It is a clear admission that the report card though made by the government themselves, has indicated that they have failed on all fronts.

The state Bharatiya Janta Party-led government recently prepared the report as a mid-term exercise and Parrikar, the former chief minister, was instrumental in drafting it. BJP general secretary Satish Velankar was recently in Goa to conduct the exercise and study the performance of the ministers.

“The BJP has no right to keep the report card which has been made by them as a secret as this government is running the affairs on tax-payers money,” D’mello said.