NEW DELHI, May 2: The Centre has agreed to pay the Delhi Government its long-overdue arrears of Rs 600 crore within 15 days. Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral gave this assurance to Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh on Thursday.

The arrears relate to Central compensation to the state for abolishing octroi and dues to the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). Singh hoped that the Prime Minister would keep his word.

``He is a gentleman. More important, he is a Dilliwala and can empathise with us,'' he said, only half jokingly.

The arrears have been hanging fire for long. Last December Singh had threatened to go on a hunger-strike if the Centre did not pay up within 15 days. It remained only a threat. More recently, Singh rode around the city on a bicycle instead of his official car, hoping to highlight the issue through media coverage of his `protest' against the Centre. The Chief Minister soon tired out, leaving the Centre still unmoved. Would he again resort to the gimmick of moving around on a bicycle if the Prime Minister went back on his word? ``I am sure things would not reach that stage this time,'' he claimed. ``After all, the last time I did so H D Deve Gowda's government collapsed.''

The Chief Minister told mediapersons that the part of the money the state is to receive from the Centre will used for anti-dengue and anti-hepatitis measures.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.