New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS): Lalchand Kataria Wednesday took over as minister of state for rural development after his portfolio was changed following an apparent goof-up in work allocation in the ministerial revamp.

Kataria, Congress MP from Jaipur Rural, was allocated the defence ministry along with his fellow MP from Rajasthan, Jitendra Singh, in Sunday's rejig.

There was a feeling in the party that the two junior ministers in the defence ministry should not be from the same state, Congress sources said.

Kataria met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday to discuss the issue.

Kataria said the rural development ministry was not new to him as he had been associated with its work as an MP.

The change in Kataria's portfolio was conveyed by Rashtrapati Bhavan through a press communique late Tuesday.

The communique also said that the Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora had been given the additional charge of shipping while Minister of State for Textiles Panabaka Lakshmi had been named the junior minister in the petroleum and natural gas ministry.