The workforce of the Road Development Corporation (RDC) has more than doubled since November 2023, with monthly salary and benefit costs reaching MVR 45 million, according to company data.
Figures released following a Right to Information request show total employees rose from 1,741 at the end of the previous administration to 3,946. Permanent staff increased from 230 to 1,547, a nearly sevenfold rise, while contract workers grew from 1,511 to 2,399.
Permanent employees now account for 39 percent of the workforce, up from 13 percent. The largest expansion occurred over the past year and coincided with the period of local council elections.
The rapid growth has drawn attention amid broader concerns about staffing levels and expenditure at state-owned enterprises. RDC has been involved in multiple road and infrastructure projects across the atolls.
The corporation has not issued a detailed public explanation for the scale of the recruitment drive.