The economic policy of the Government of India as enunciated in the First Five Year Plan observed: ‘In India, as in many other countries, cooperation started as a means of ensuring, for the poorly equipped citizens, advantages which better placed persons were able to command’. The principle of mutual aid, which is the basis of cooperative organization and the practice of thrift, and self-help, which sustain it, generate a sturdy feeling of self-reliance, which is of basic importance in a democratic way of life.

By pooling their experience and knowledge and by helping one another, members of cooperative societies can not only find solutions to individual problems but also become better citizens. In a regime of planned development, cooperation is an instrument, which while retaining some of the advantages of decentralization and local initiative will yet serve willingly and readily the overall purposes and directions of the Plan . . .. The cooperative form of organization can no longer be treated as only a species within the private sector. It is an indispensable instrument of planned economic action in a democracy.

Housing development in Cochin was not as organized in earlier times as is being seen now. The prominent role played by the government funded housing cooperatives and other development agencies gave no room for any form of private initiative. Such an approach to housing development had its own merits and demerits. But the sad fact was that the demerits far outweighed the merits.

The present developments in apartments in Cochin are mainly due to the freedom given to the private sector in apartment development. Thus the housing shortage could be met without much expenditure from the part of the government. Not only that the common people have welcomed this form of development.