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Calcutta, Feb. 4: Reliance will inject into Bengal a fresh Rs 1,200-crore dose of investment to give its infotech initiatives and oil sector plans in the state more muscle.

Sources said the money would be pumped in phases, in the next financial year, if “there is no hurdle in getting land and other government approvals.”

The largest private sector conglomerate has already sunk Rs 3000 crore in the two sectors within the state. But this time, it is chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s ambitious infocom vision that has made Reliance “actively consider” a government proposal to make Haldia its fourth undersea-cable landing station. More funds will flow in if the plan takes off.

“Bengal’s infocom sector is expanding so rapidly that there could be a problem in getting adequate bandwidth over the next couple of years. A submarine cable station at Haldia is being considered against the backdrop of such a situation,” sources familiar with the events said.

Of the Rs 1200 crore in planned fresh funding, infocom will get Rs 800 crore and oil Rs 400 crore. The company already has infocom projects in the state worth Rs 2200 crore in the works, while an oil terminal it has lined up at Haldia is estimated to cost Rs 800 crore.

Sources said Haldia and Calcutta would be the group’s hubs for oil and infocom businesses that would cater to eastern, northeastern regions, besides neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The new infocom ventures include a 3000-seat call centre in Salt Lake, an internet data centre, a media convergent note and a large software development centre; two knowledge centres for training are also on the offing.

Plans detailing these projects have been sent to the state government by group firm Reliance Infocomm. The authorities have given a six-acre plot to the company, but a request has been made for another 10 acres.

According to the project report submitted to the government, the call centre will come up over seven lakh square feet — in three seven-floor buildings within a complex — and take on its rolls around 4000 people.

In the oil sector, most of the investments, sources said, will go into petrol pumps, while a chunk of the funds will be poured into the oil terminal and seven-km-long pipeline from Haldia Dock Complex. The dock authority has already given the Jetty-III to the Ambanis to help them take care of the group’s oil interests.

If all goes to plan, Bengal could see 200 Reliance petrol pumps, also housing convenient stores, in a year.