Thrissur: In the aftermath of the devastating Chooralmala-Mundakkai landslides, a total of 110 officers, including 46 IAS and 64 IPS officials, have contributed to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund through Kerala’s salary challenge. This initiative was established to encourage government employees and teachers to support relief efforts. Currently, Kerala has 152 IAS and 172 IPS officers in service, yet figures reveal that even some senior officers chose not to participate in the challenge.

Despite the initiative's intentions, the salary challenge has not garnered as much support. As of now, consent has been received from 2,18,228 employees, including 28,656 gazetted officers, out of a total 5,45,423 government salary recipients.

The funds raised through the challenge currently stand at Rs 93,85,51,746, according to the Chief Minister’s response to a question by MLA VR Sunil Kumar in the Legislative Assembly. This contribution reflects the cumulative efforts of participating employees across various sectors.

In addition to contributions through the Service and Payroll Administrative Repository (Spark) platform, several IAS and IPS officers are known to have donated directly to the relief fund. The government is presently compiling figures on the number of employees who contributed via alternative methods.