We discuss the role of additional local symmetries related to the transformations of connection fields in the affine-metric theory of gravity. The corresponding BRST transformations connected with all symmetries (general coordinate, local Lorentz and extra) are constructed. It is shown, that extra symmetries give the additional contribution to effective action which is proportional to the corresponding Nielsen-Kallosh ghost one. Some arguments are given, that there is no anomaly associated with extra local symmetries. PACS number(s) 0450+h, 0460-m 1