The government has decided to ban TV cameras inside the Vigyan Bhawan during the controversial National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) meeting on Saturday.

Cameras will be allowed only for a brief period during the prime minister's inaugural address. Chief ministers, who want to express their views on NCTC will have to walk up to the gates of the Vigyan Bhawan to talk to the media.

Sources said the instructions to keep the media at bay will be followed in future meetings, too, except when officially invited for coverage.

Two weeks ago, the parliament authorities wrote to the media not to hover around the closed-door meetings of the parliamentary committees. They say proceedings of such meetings remain confidential until the report is laid in parliament.

Sources said the government felt necessary to put curbs on the media after a bitter experience of almost every opposition chief minister going on air last month to tear apart the centre even while the annual conference on internal security was on. The chief ministers will speak to the media after the day's conference ends to avoid confusion, the sources added.

Home minister P Chidambaram will finally brief the media.