Thimphu: Amidst skepticism of increase in house rent due to increase in salary of the government employees, government had asked the hose owners not to do so in fear that it would affect economy and increase inflation. 

However, within weeks of the government appeal, the Thimphu city corporation has increased the service charges for water and sewerage thereby forcing the house owners to increase house rents. Though water is one of the basic commodity for people, government has asked the sellers not to increase the prices of the bais commodities. 

The city corporation has increased the service charges by seven percent or an increase of Nu 4.50 more for a cubic meter. 

However, the city corporation said it is a regular process of increasing prices that it does annually and it was tabled long before salary hike was debated.