Kohima, July 10 (PTI): The Nagaland government is under pressure to ban dog meat, considered a delicacy in the state.

Although the state cabinet is yet to take the final decision, the urban local bodies have been asked to spread awareness on animal care and bar the capture of dogs for slaughter, an official said.

The municipal affairs department has been asked to stop the sale of dog meat - and of live dogs for slaughter - at bazaars.

But an official said that considering the food habit of the Naga people, the administrators at the urban local bodies are hesitant about issuing such directives.

Meat consumption is high in Nagaland, where dog meat costs more than Rs 300 a kilo. Several hotels serve dog meat, especially in capital Kohima and commercial hub Dimapur.

Officials said the state government's move came after it received a legal notice from a lawyer in Assam, N.M. Kapadia, who said he was acting on the instructions of his clients.