✨[Feature] Move `_C` code out of `_util.py`

[gs-olive]

Context

PR #2118 moves key version-checking functionality into a utilities file which imports _C. This file, _util.py needs to be refactored and/or imported differently to allow use of the utility without pulling in the C dependency, which is undesirable for users who prefer to use Python-only runtimes or install a lightweight version of the repository.

Proposal

See 38a2c4c for a potential solution. In short, one can move the _C-dependent utilities to the ts directory and update the imports, with a new utilities file being created in the main directory.

[narendasan]

Some of the _C code can be reimplemented in Python as well. Particularly the build_info stuff

[github-actions]

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