Ruby Dhalla plans to set up trust for fraud marriage victims

She also raised the issue of restarting direct flights from Amritsar to Canada, the UK and the US, besides seeking to start the Mohali international airport soon to help the NRI diaspora connect with Punjab's cities and villages.

In this regard, Dhalla has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh and has also written to them raising the two issues.

"We are in the process of launching a charity which will actually help these women...We are focusing on empowering them also," Dhalla told PTI.

Asked when it would start functioning, she said, an existing charity would be partnered with in this regard and "we hope to make an announcement in the very near future."

She claimed that no such charity has ever been set up anywhere in India and hoped, "it will be a stepping stone to creating awareness and for providing information and helping to facilitate government-to-government interaction on this."

Having championed the issue of fraud marriages for sometime now, the former three-time Canadian-Indian MP said the organisation will also create a website that would highlight those committing such frauds so that they do not repeat such acts and get exposed.

She also hoped that the ongoing visit of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will help further strengthen trade, economic and cultural ties between India and Canada. (More)