'The ministry of women and child development is piloting amendments to the law against human trafficking. If the bill is found unsatisfactory, members can move for suitable amendments,' Chidambaram said in reply to a supplementary during question hour.

The response came after Brinda Karat (Communist Party of India-Marxist) said a 'major obstacle' to preventing human trafficking was the 'lack of a specific law to deal with this.

'There are different acts but there is no comprehensive legislation to harmonise the various definitions of human trafficking in line with international law. When would this happen and in what timeframe?' Karat asked.

Asked what steps were being taken to prevent human trafficking in the guise of marriages, Chidambaram said: 'Whenever such cases come to light, an FIR (first investigation report) is lodged and the police investigate the case.'

'Unless an FIR is filed, it will be difficult to judge whether it is a genuine marriage or a case of bride hunting,' he added.

Chidambaram also said an anti-trafficking nodal cell in the home ministry would assist the states in establishing similar cells in each district to prevent the scourge.

'The states have to address the problem. We will help them but the state governments should take the issue seriously,' he contended.