Well, I stopped taking NDVO's & CIC's replies & announcements seriously more than a year back when they kept on exceeding their promised deadlines. Even now, I am not sure when (& if) I will get MR and am already in process w/date for almost 3 months now. I agree with you that it is probable we might get visas by end-2012 :-\ provided something similar to what happened to pre-Feb 2008 cases doesn't happen to us...
Anyway this waiting is really getting unbearable now and all future plans are on hold due to this...