Infra failure deaths: New Bill proposes criminal liability, accountability

Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma has introduced the Critical Infrastructure Bill, 2026, to fix accountability for infra failures. The bill proposes criminal liability for loss of life and a 25-year defect liability for contractors.

In a decisive move to strengthen public safety and restore accountability in India's infrastructure ecosystem, Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma has introduced the Critical Infrastructure (Resilience, Protection and Accountability) Bill, 2026 in the Rajya Sabha.

From Negligence to Criminal Accountability

The Bill is anchored in a clear concern: repeated failures of public infrastructure where lives are lost, services collapse, yet responsibility is diffused across contracts, consultants, and corporate layers, leaving citizens without justice and accountability without consequence. This legislation seeks to correct that imbalance by placing responsibility squarely on those who design, build, operate, and maintain critical infrastructure.

The proposed law establishes a structured framework to identify and classify critical infrastructure of national, economic, and life-critical importance, including dams, expressways, power grids, ports, urban transit systems, and strategic assets. It recognises that when such infrastructure fails due to poor design, substandard construction, inferior materials, or negligence, the outcome is not merely a contractual breach, but a failure of public trust. The Bill proposes a fundamental shift from civil negligence to criminal accountability where loss of life is involved.

Proactive Prevention Through Technology

To move from reactive investigation to proactive prevention, the Bill mandates the use of advanced technological tools, including:- Mandatory Digital Twins- Every physical critical infrastructure asset must have a functional digital twin to enable real-time structural health monitoring, stress testing, and predictive maintenance. National Real-Time Critical Infrastructure Monitoring Dashboard- A centralised digital dashboard to monitor the health and performance of critical infrastructure across sectors, enabling early warnings and coordinated response.

The intent is clear to prevent disasters before they occur, rather than respond after damage is done.

Fixing Lifecycle Responsibility: Key Provisions

The Bill fixes responsibility across the full lifecycle of infrastructure projects. Contractors, sub-contractors, concessionaires, consultants, vendors, technology providers, and project entities are all brought within the scope of liability. Key provisions include: Criminal liability for corporate manslaughter where negligence leads to loss of life. Personal accountability of senior management and board members in proven cases. Extension of defect liability to 25 years, ensuring responsibility does not end at handover. Provision for provisional attachment of personal assets in cases of catastrophic failure These measures ensure that accountability cannot be diluted through restructuring, mergers, or contractual loopholes.

Speaking on the introduction of the Bill, Kartikeya Sharma said, "Critical infrastructure is not just steel and concrete. It carries the daily risk and trust of millions of citizens. When negligence costs lives, accountability must be immediate, personal, and unavoidable."

Ensuring Transparency and Future-Proofing Infrastructure

The Bill also provides safeguards for whistleblowers and establishes grievance redress mechanisms to ensure transparency and citizen oversight.

As India continues to invest heavily in infrastructure expansion, this legislation seeks to ensure that speed and scale are matched with safety, quality, and responsibility. The Critical Infrastructure (Resilience, Protection and Accountability) Bill, 2026 aims to create a system where infrastructure is not only built faster, but built to last, built safely, and backed by real accountability.

(ANI)

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