Bhopal, November 1, 2026: The Madhya Pradesh government has suspended C B Ahirwar, an executive engineer in the Water Resources Department’s Panna division, after his remarks about accepting money offered “willingly” went viral and triggered widespread criticism.
Engineer Says He Does Not Demand Money
The controversy began after Ahirwar told reporters that he did not have any fixed “percentage” from contractors and did not demand money from anyone.
However, he added that if someone gave him something willingly, he would accept it. He acknowledged that such acceptance could be illegal but continued to defend the distinction between demanding money and receiving it voluntarily.
Remarks Follow ₹45,000 Bribery Trap
His comments came after a Lokayukta operation in Panna in which two employees of the Water Resources Department were allegedly caught accepting a total bribe of ₹45,000 from a contractor.
The contractor had reportedly approached the Lokayukta after money was allegedly demanded for clearing a pending bill related to canal construction work.
Two Department Employees Caught
According to reports, divisional accounts officer Deepak Singh Parmar and assistant grade-II employee Arvind Kumar Pathak were allegedly caught accepting the money.
Authorities said ₹15,000 was recovered from Parmar and ₹30,000 from Pathak during the trap operation.
Ahirwar Was Not Caught in the Trap
Officials have clarified that Ahirwar himself was not among those caught accepting the alleged bribe.
His suspension was based on his public remarks, which the government viewed as an admission of conduct inconsistent with the standards expected from a public servant.
Government Calls Conduct “Unbecoming”
The Water Resources Department issued the suspension order on October 30, describing Ahirwar’s conduct as “unbecoming” of a government servant.
The order said his remarks amounted to misconduct and violated provisions of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965.
Engineer Attached to Bhopal Headquarters
During the suspension period, Ahirwar’s headquarters will be the office of the Chief Engineer of the Water Resources Department in Bhopal.
He will remain entitled to subsistence allowance while the disciplinary process continues.
Viral Remark Triggers Wider Debate
The episode has sparked a wider debate over corruption and administrative accountability in government departments.
While the engineer maintained that he never demanded bribes, his admission that he accepted money offered voluntarily drew strong criticism because accepting such payments can still amount to misconduct and corruption.
Source: The Indian Express, Free Press Journal, Amar Ujala
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