Property tax: Will MCC clarify on depreciation in value of house?

Sir,

I own an independent house in Mysuru and have been regularly paying property taxes for the last 7 years. Every time I go to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Ward Office to pay taxes, I am required to go to a “helper” who fills out the required forms in a hurry by copying the entries from the previous year’s form for a small fee and sends me to other counters for verification and payment of taxes.

In these seven years, I have never found any entry with regard to depreciation in the value of the house, with the result that many times I end up paying higher taxes than the previous years.

I have not got a satisfactory answer from the “helper” at the Revenue Office for my question relating to “depreciation.” Could some one enlighten me as to what the real deal is with regard to the depreciation?

Is depreciation allowed by law and, if so, why is it not factored in the calculations? Or is it built-in into the procedure and, if so, where is it shown on the form? In case it is illegitimately suppressed, how can I get it remedied?

Isn’t it high time that the Mysuru City Corporation computerise the entire procedure for paying property tax online so the hassle of waiting in line for hours together to pay the taxes and errors / omissions in filling the forms can be avoided? Won’t it be a boon for super senior citizens like me as well as busy office-goers?

When Bengaluru City Corporation has already implemented e-filing of property taxes, why is MCC so tardy in implementing it in Mysuru? Would the MCC Commissioner care to answer the question?