New Delhi, Mar 8 (IANS): As many as 2.18 crore farmers have so far received their first instalment of Rs 2,000 under the PM-KISAN scheme, an official statement said on Thursday.

The government has released over Rs 4,366 crore since Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur on February 24.

As many as 74.72 lakh farmers in Uttar Pradesh, 32 lakh farmers in Andhra Pradesh, 25 lakh farmers in Gujarat, 14 lakh farmers each in Telangana and Tamil Nadu, 11 lakh farmers in Maharashtra, and over 8 lakh farmers in Haryana are among the farmers from 21 states, who have received their first instalments, the Agriculture Ministry statement said.

As many as 2,400 farmers from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, 600 from Daman & Diu and 800 from Puducherry also are among the beneficiaries.

West Bengal has decided not be a part of the scheme, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said on Wednesday.

About 12.5 crore small and marginal farmers in the country would get Rs 6,000 in three instalments under Direct Benefit Transfer mode.