"The slums in the district are flourishing and the administration should initiate steps to control their growth. A drive should be undertaken to remove the slums that have come up after 2000," Pawar said at a meeting called to discuss various issues of development of the district. The state government had announced extension of the deadline for regularising slums that have come up till 2000 from the earlier deadline of 1995. The matter is pending in the court.

The police department is ready to provide all possible help to the civic administration to crack down on the illegal slums, he said.

It is not possible for the civic administration to keep a vigil on the growing slums in the city due to lack of manpower, Pawar said. "PMC and PCMC should appoint private security for controlling the growth of slums in their jurisdiction and also ensure there is no slums coming up after the action on them."

He urged the PMC to speed up the process of slum rehabilitation in its jurisdiction as in the neighbouring PCMC.

Divisional Commissioner Nitin Kareer said the PCMC has completed its survey of slums while the PMC is still working on it.

The record along with the videography should be prepared to demarcate the area occupied by slums and identify if there is any growth, he said.