Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28: The Shri Jagannath Temple administration today decided to set up a 500-bed multi-specialty hospital in Puri.

It will be christened as Sri Jagannath Institute of Medical Science.

Calcutta-based Medica Synergie Group will promote the hospital and the facility is likely to be operational by July 2015, ahead of the Nabakalebar. Nearly 50 lakh devotees are expected to throng Puri to witness the famous festival, in which the idols of the Trinity will be changed.

Temple chief administrator Arvind Padhee said: “We have asked for a detailed project report from the group. The temple administration will provide land to the group free of cost. They will spend around Rs 110 crore for the project. The sevayats of the temple will get free medical treatment at the hospital.”

The temple administration has already provided health insurance coverage to the sevayats.

Sources said a management committee would be formed with six members from the temple administration, one government official, three experts and members from the Medica Synergie Group.

The hospital will come up over 10 acres. All facilities, including CT scan, treatment of heart patients and other specialised medical care, will be available at the health care facility.

The administration also approved Rs 212.26 crore budget for 2014-15. “We have expected to generate Rs 62 crore from land revenue, Rs 15.44 crore from temple, itself, and Rs 96.33 crore as government grant,” said an official.

Under its revenue generation plan, the administration hopes that it will generate Rs 50 crore by selling land on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

“We have identified land and a memorandum of understanding to this effect has been signed with the Bhubaneswar Development Authority,” said an official.

In yet another move, the administration earmarked Rs 1.5 crore to take up various welfare schemes under public charitable work.

It has also decided to strengthen the infrastructure before Nabakalebar.