More than 500 employees of the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) have been excused from work to campaign for the government in the local council elections.

According to some HDC employees, who wished to remain anonymous, the employees are being paid overtime in addition to their salaries. They said this is misusing state funds.

Some of the employees excused from work have been staying at home or on islands for about two months now.

"I have never seen such a thing in any government. Some of the company's work has been disrupted, and the money is being thrown away for political purposes," an HDC employee said.

Due to new recruitments and promotions for political purposes, the company's salary expenses have increased by nearly 100 percent. At the end of the previous government, the monthly payroll stood at MVR 27 million, but now it has risen to MVR 45 million.