As per the official schedule, the government was expected to sign the shareholders' agreement and the share purchase agreement on February 26.

With the government deciding to hold discussion in Parliament before the sealing of the deal, the sale may have to wait for a few more days, official sources said.

Meanwhile, the tug of war continued unabated between the government and the Opposition over Balco privatisation on Friday. Disinvestment minister Arun Shourie, however, maintained that there was nothing wrong in valuation of the company with four different groups having worked on it for eight months.

Earlier in the day, the Balco issue figured in both Houses of Parliament, with members reiterating the demand that no assets of the company be transferred till it was discussed threadbare and okayed.

Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha, opposition members, including Mr Kapil Sibal, Mr Arjun Singh and Mr Suresh Pachouri (Cong), Mr Nilotpal Basu (CPI-M) and his other Left Front colleagues asked for a debate under rule 170, which entailed voting.

In the Lok Sabha, Opposition members sought the assurance amid turmoil that no asset would be transferred to the Sterlite Group till the debate took place. Mr Shourie stood up to respond to the members' queries, but he could not do so on account of the continuing din. The House was then adjourned.

The adjournment took place in the Rajya Sabha too over the Balco issue. Both Houses later met for the private members' bill.

Briefing the press later, Mr Shourie said the Disinvestment Commission had recommended in March 1997 that the government should immediately divest 40 per cent of Balco equity to a strategic partner. In June 1998, the commission chairman GV Ramakrishna had advised the government to go for 50 per cent stake sale. The minister said Balco profit had been declining continuously. It earned a profit of Rs 163 crore in 1996, which came down to Rs 25 crore in 2000.