Bengaluru: Bereaved Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was back to work on Wednesday, couple of days after his elder son Rakesh’s final rites.

The Chief Minister is expected to chair a meeting of BBMP?officials at his home office ‘Krishna’ were he will assess the damage caused by heavy rains in Bengaluru last week. He will also hold a meeting today over the Mahadayi tribunal verdict with Advocate General, legal experts and law minister.

Earlier, the CM in a statement to the media said that he was finding it difficult to cope with the loss of his son and added that no parent should ever face the tragedy of losing a child. He also stated it would take a long time for him and his family to overcome the grief.

Siddaramaiah said that he would never forget the concern shown by the people of the state irrespective of caste, religion or social status, to Rakesh when he was undergoing treatment at Antwerp University Hospital in Brussels, Belgium. He also thanked a Kannadiga family in Brussels who voluntarily helped him and his family, including providing home-cooked food.

The CM further stated that he would be forever indebted to the thousands who gathered at the Exhibition Grounds in Mysuru to pay homage to Rakesh. He also thanked the politicians who, cutting across party lines, shared his grief.