'Unauthorised colonies meeting norms to be legalised before April'

"We are aiming to regularise the unauthorised colonies, which have got clearances from all concerned agencies and departments, at the earliest," he said, adding some of the colonies may be regularised even before the municipal polls.u00a0

Walia said the department was examining allegations of wrongdoings in handing out provisional regularisation certificates to certain colonies which do not meet prescribed norms.u00a0"We are looking into the allegations. Officers have been given instructions on what should be done. We are examining the entire issue. We will regularise those colonies which meet all the required norms," Walia said.

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday had relieved Raj Kumar Chauhan of urban development department and given it to Walia.u00a0Walia, who held the department till a reshuffle in February, said expediting framing of rules and administrative structures of three proposed municipal corporations would also be an important priority for him.u00a0

The government had issued provisional regularisation certificates to 1,639 unauthorised colonies ahead of assembly polls in 2008, which have been home to around 40 lakh people. Chauhan was urban development minister when the certificates were distributed.u00a0