UP Government to Migrate 4,200 Employees from Vodafone Idea to BSNL: Report

The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government is migrating the Closed User Group (CUG) mobile connections of nearly 4,200 employees from Vodafone Idea (Vi) to the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). The move will affect employees across various administrative departments at the Lucknow Secretariat headquarters, ranging from computer assistants and review officers to special secretaries, according to a CNBC-TV18 report dated May 29, 2026.

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Key Highlights

  • The Uttar Pradesh government is shifting official CUG mobile services from Vodafone Idea to BSNL.
  • Around 4,200 employees at the Lucknow Secretariat will be affected by the migration.
  • BSNL has started distributing new CUG SIM cards through the Secretariat's Telephone Cell.
  • Employees have expressed concerns about receiving new mobile numbers instead of retaining existing ones.
  • Staff members have urged the government to allow Mobile Number Portability (MNP) to ensure uninterrupted official communication.

New BSNL SIM Distribution Underway

According to an official circular issued by the Secretariat, BSNL has been selected to provide all official CUG mobile services, replacing Vi, the country’s third-largest telecom operator, the report said. The Telephone Cell has already begun distributing new BSNL CUG SIM cards to employees as part of the transition process.

While the administration is focused on ensuring a smooth business transition, employees are worried about practical, daily communication issues, the report added. A delegation representing Secretariat employees recently met the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to highlight practical challenges and potential disruptions to daily communication arising from the migration, according to the report.

Employees Flag Communication Challenges

The employees’ primary concern is the issuance of new mobile numbers instead of allowing them to retain their existing ones. Staff members pointed out that the current CUG numbers have been in use for several years and are widely recorded in official documents, emergency directories and departmental rosters across the state.