The State Bank of India Staff Association traces its roots to the erstwhile Imperial Bank of India Indian Staff Association which was established in the year 1920 under the Societies Registration Act even before the enactment of the Trade Union Act in the country. This fact has bestowed upon the Association the glorious distinction of being one of the oldest Trade Union Organisations in India. The first General Secretary of the Association was the legendary TU leader Com. Ajit Sen to whose memory the Head Quarters building of SBISA in Kolkata is dedicated. Subsequently, the Association was registered under the Indian Trade Union Act after its enactment in 1926, only in the month of May, 1932. The Association changed its name to State Bank of India Staff Association after the nationalization of the Imperial Bank of India which was rechristened as State Bank of India in 1955 and became the first nationalized bank in the country. The necessary change of name of the Association in the Registration Certificate came into effect on 22.02.1956. From that day the State Bank of India Staff Association is continuing its glorious and eventful journey till date within a vast operational territory of erstwhile Bank of Calcutta which is now being administered by as many as eight Circles of State Bank of India. The eight Circles, which operate under SBISA but by their respective Circle Committees are Bengal, Bhubaneswar, Patna, North Eastern, Lucknow, Delhi, Chandigarh and the newly formed Jaipur Circles. While the Head Quarters (8 Circles) of SBISA is in Calcutta, the respective Circle Associations are having their Head Quarters at the respective LHO Centres of the Circles. The Trade Union Registration of all the above Circle Associations, is however, only one i.e. that of the State Bank of India Staff Association.

The operational areas of present day North Eastern Circle were administered by the Bengal Circle of the Bank till the formation of our Circle with the establishment of a Local Head Office in Guwahati on 29.04.1981. Till the establishment of our Circle, the Association activities were also being conducted under the Bengal Circle Association. The history of this period of our beloved Association would be written in golden letters for the sacrifices and militancy of our members and fire band leaders like Late Com. Dulal Banerjee and Com. Pinaki Ranjan Dutta of Shillong, Late Com. Arun Dey of Tezpur, Com. Ananta Ch. Kalita, Com. Bhupen Ch. Kalita, Com. Bipul Dev Sarmah of Guwahati, Com. Anil Roy of Dibrugarh, Com. Rohini Singh and Com. Rana Singh of Imphal, Com. Tejen Das of Agartala, Late Com. Jagadish Aich of Dimapur, Com. Madhav Paul of Dhubri and many more distinguished leaders, covering various parts of our Circle, who have made exemplary contributions towards the cause of our Union. During the period under Bengal Circle, Late Com. Dulal Banerjee was holding the post of the Deputy General Secretary of this North Eastern Region and heading the Union in this part of the country.

Late Com. Dulal Banerjee’s pioneering contribution to Trade Unionism in our Bank in this part of the country was aptly rewarded when he was elected the first General Secretary of the N.E. Circle Union after its formation in 1981. Another illustrious Trade Unionist, Com. Arun Dey was elected as the first Circle President of our Circle Association at that time.

The versatile and emphatic leader, Com. Ananta Ch. Kalita, who eventually became the undisputed leader of the leaders in his illustrious career in our Union came in the fore by becoming the President of the Circle Union in the year 1986 in Patna Conference of SBISA. This conference was the last one which saw the election of the then 7 Circles at the same time. Subsequently, different Circles started to hold their separate Conferences within their respective Circles. The first Circle Conference of North Eastern Circle SBISA was held in the year 1989 in Guwahati where there was a reversal of roles in the form of Com. Ananta Ch. Kalita getting elected as the General Secretary and Late Com. Dulal Banerjee becoming the Circle President. Both Com Ananta Ch. Kalita and Late Com. Dulal Banerjee held their respective posts of GS and Circle President till the date of their respective retirements from Bank’s service.

After the retirement of Late Com. Dulal Banerjee, in the 3rd Triennial Circle Conference of SBISA, N.E. Circle held in 1997 at Shillong, Com. Bhupen Ch. Kalita was elected to the Post of Circle President. Com. Bhupen Kalita was holding this position of Circle President till he became the General Secretary in June 2008 in a Special General Body Meeting held at Guwahati coinciding with the retirement of Com. Ananta Ch. Kalita from the Bank’s service. Both of these leaders had brought accolades and glory to the Circle Association by holding very important positions in the apex level. Com Ananta Ch. Kalita became the Workmen Director in the Bank’s Central Board while Com. Bhupen Ch. Kalita became the President of the All India SBI Staff Federation, both being the first person from this part of the country.

After the retirement of Com. Ananta Ch. Kalita, the then General Secretary of the Circle Association, Com. Bhupen Ch. Kalita took over as the General Secretary while Com. Mukti Agarwala, who retired recently from the Bank was elected as the Circle President. Com. Agarwala is counted amongst the most talented and versatile leaders of our Association who also left his indelible mark in the history of our Association both in the Circle as well in all India arena.

In March 2011 Bipul Dev Sarmah became the General Secretary on being elected to the post after the retirement of Com. Bhupen Ch. Kalita.

n August 2013 during the 8th Triennial Circle Conference held at Guwahati Com Debasis Chakraborty was elected to the post of Circle President. Com. Chakraborty had made tremendous contribution to the Association covering its various activities and areas. Com. Pradip Kr. Baishya, our beloved General Secretary, was elected to the Post of GS in the same Conference.

In January, 2017 Com. Pranab Thakuria, was elected to the post of Circle President in the 9th Triennial Conference of SBISA, N.E. Circle. Com. Thakuria, a young leader, is an apt companion at the top position for the young and dynamic General Secretary, Com. Pradip Kr. Baishya.

Long Live SBISA

Long Live Our Unity