District Revenue Officer T Christhuraj distributed five Anna Awards and eight Periyar Awards to SSLC and Plus Two public examination top rankers hailing from minority communities. While the Anna Award winners bagged a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 each, the Periyar Award winners were given Rs. 1,000 and a certificate each.

As many as 3,955 people from minority communities also benefited from welfare measures to the tune of Rs. 13.7 lakh.

Presiding over a function organised in the Collectorate campus to mark Minorities Rights Day, which is observed on December 18 around the world, the DRO said as many as 4,004 applications from students to avail scholarships and other benefits have been forwarded to the Central government and a Rs. 3 crore target has been set for distribution of loans to various minority groups.

Minorities, including Muslims, Christians, Parsis and Buddhists, would be covered under the special loan scheme distributed through TAMCO, he said.