New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said a host of steps have been taken by his government to tackle black money -- from the appointment of a special probe team to enacting a stringent law to prevent such practices and punish its perpetrators.

Addressing the nation on India's 69th Independence Day, the prime minister said that when he took over last year, the Central Bureau of Investigation was probing some 800 cases of black money. Now 1,800 cases were being examined.

"Many people did not like this," he said, adding this had to be done and already several thousand crores of rupees have been collected from people who have begun to declare their ill-gotten assets.

Modi said the day after he took over the country's reins, a Special Investigation Team, as directed by the Supreme Court, was formed to probe cases of black money and get back such wealth that had been stashed away abroad.

And within one year, a stringent legislation to deal with this issue was also enacted, he said. "Even at the G20 meeting, I raised the issue and we have been promised cooperation."