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A CEO for Mumbai? How tantalising that sounds. An unelected entity, with no political affiliations, unhindered by the task of appeasing various political and economic interest groups, someone with executive authority to cut through Babudom? What joy!

A CEO for Mumbai? The acronym conjures up the meritocratic, free-from-bullshit, straight-talking, hard-working, accountable-to-shareholders, air of the corporate world.

No playing to gallery populism, or ulterior motives, or hidden agendas.

No pandering to slum lords, propping up discredited dons, or appeasing the lowest common denominator. Some one who accepts responsibility, takes ownership, steers the ship. Someone with whom the buck stops.

A CEO for Mumbai. Tata to the CM, farewell to the BMC chief, goodbye to the sheriff, adios amigo to the MMRDA chairman. And their legion of babus. And their miles of files. And the labyrinth of corridors at Mantralaya.

A CEO for Mumbai. One man at the helm. A one-stop shop to redress all your woes. A single-window administration. No refer-to-this-department and take-permission-of-that-department and seek-appointment-with-this-officer or that.

No more right hand not knowing what the left hand does. No more subterfuge and shadow-play and behind the scenes maneuvering. Transparency. Lucidity. Simplicity. Efficiency.

A CEO for Mumbai! Look out New York! Watch out Dubai! See you soon Singapore!

A CEO for Mumbai. Someone who drives himself to work each morning, and experiences the potholes like you and me. Someone who gets stuck in the rain. Someone who is moved by the disparity. The urchins. The homeless. The aged and the disabled. Someone with a heart that feels and a head that thinks.

Someone who is above politics, beyond influence, motivated by no thought other than creating a world class city. Someone urbane and modern and progressive and sophisticated and global.

A CEO for Mumbai. Someone who likes to listen to rock music-outdoors. Someone who knows that a global city needs its restaurants and bars to stay open all night. Someone who realises that the bar girls have their place too. Someone who would never dream of banning a book or a film. Someone who is sympathetic to lovers cuddling in public and artists with a penchant for painting goddesses in the nude.

Someone who has a sense of humanity without being self-righteous, a sense of purpose without being dogmatic, and a sense of vision without being airy-fairy.

A man of integrity, and efficiency and experience.

One can dream, can’t one?