New Delhi, Apr 16 (IANS): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday assured the chief ministers that he would hold a separate meeting with them May 5 to discuss the controversial proposal to set up a National Counter Terrorism Centre.

"We will discuss the National Counter Terrorism Centre on May 5 in a separate meeting as some chief ministers suggested," the prime minister told the annual meeting of chief ministers on internal security here.

The proposal to set up the anti-terror agency is being opposed by United Progressive Alliance partner Trinamool Congress, headed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, as well as several opposition ruled states, including Tamil Nadu's J. Jayalalithaa, Gujarat's Narendra Modi and Odisha's Naveen Patnaik.

They claim that the anti-terror agency is against the concept of federalism.

Banerjee did not attend the chief ministers' conference.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted that the NCTC had been withdrawn from the agenda of Monday's meeting and would be discussed separately May 5.